Trials and Tribulations
by SpiritWarrior22
Summary: Set five years after the last Blight. Alistair and Kailee are enjoying their peaceful lives as King and Queen of Fereldan, but when an old face shows up with shocking news, they are thrown into a grand adventure maybe more perilous than the Blight.
1. MeetingOh Joy!

Wow...it's been a while since i used this account. I was lazy and didn't wanna wait two days for me to upload my story.

Well for this story i played through it with a female human noble (shutup, i thought it would be fun, and it works for my story.) Though this story has her in it, it mainly centers around another character i made up, who was with Alistair during his joining. But you won't meet him until the next chapter or so =) Well please R&R! and CONSTRUCTIVE criticism is much appreciated. I want to become a better writer, so I would like to know where I can improve. =) Don't out right flame it though. Thanks and enjoy my first DA:O fic!

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**Trials and Tribulations  
**Chapter One:  
Meetings...Oh Joy!

_Why do Kings have to be put through these tortures? _Alistair sat on his throne in the chamber where all the nobles of Fereldan gathered together to discuss problems within the land. It has been five years since the last Blight, and apart from the occasional darkspawn raids, and bandits attacking travelers, Fereldan was at peace.

_Still, why do these people insist on having these meetings every month? Wouldn't once ever half year seem better? _The King let a sigh escape and turned slightly to look at the person sitting next to him. _At least she feels the same way_. A small smile formed as he thought of his loving wife, the Hero of Fereldan. He remembered when they first met, how she threatened to beat the mage that shoved past her and made him almost wet himself.

~*~

_Alistair walked towards where he was instructed the mage would be. It was just his luck the Revered Mother sent him on this errand. He shook his head and headed up the ramp, to find the mage standing in the center. Right upon seeing him, Alistair knew this was not going to end well. The mage already looked mad enough, having to run around helping the Grey Wardens. Oh well, Alistair grinned to himself, might as well make the best of it._

"_Excuse me, good mage! I was told I could find you here." The mage in question turned and glared at Alistair. Alistair chose to ignore it and walked up to him. _

"_What is it now? Haven't the Grey Wardens asked enough of me as it is?" _

"_I simply come to deliver a message from the Revered Mother, ser mage. She desires your presence." The mage scoffed and scowled, if possible, his angry expression getting angrier._

"_What she desires is of no concern to me. I'm busy helping the Grey Wardens, by the King's orders I might add." _

"_Should I have asked her to write a note?" A smirk crossed the ex-Templars face as he watched the mages face. _

"_Tell her I will not be harassed in this manner!" Alistair rolled his eyes and shifted his weight to his right foot._

"_Right…I was harassing you by delivering a message." His eyes flickered over as someone else walked up behind the mage, patiently waiting for the conversation to end. A girl garbed in splintmail armor and a sword and shield strapped to her back. She seemed familiar, but he couldn't quite place it. He shrugged and turned back to the mage._

"_Your prudence does you no credit." He spat as he crossed his arms over his chest, glaring at the Warden. He saw the girl lift an eyebrow as she smirked slightly._

"_Aw, and here I thought we were getting along so well. I was going to name one of my children after you…the grumpy one." He heard the girl snort as she tried to hold her laughter in. The mage growled and threw up his hands in defeat._

"_Fine! I will go to her if I must, but this better not be a waste of my time." He turned and shoved passed the newcomer, almost making her fall to the ground. "Out of my way fool." Alistair caught the look the girl had, a mixture of annoyance and mischief. Before the mage could walk down the ramp, and medium sized rock flew and smacked him in the back of the head. The mage stumbled forward and almost tripped over his own feet. Alistair turned and looked at the girl, who was bouncing a rock in her hand, her other hand on her hip as she growled at the mage. _

"_That's for almost knocking me over. Men, no respect for ladies." The mage rubbed the back of his head an turned sharply, glaring daggers at the girl._

"_Why you…I don't need this!" He harrumphed and stalked away, leaving a smirking girl and Alistair doubled over laughing. _

_~*~_

The action reminded Alistair of a fellow Grey Warden that went through the Joining with him. Her comical jibes at his jokes and insecurities, and her skill with a weapon were something to be afraid of. Later on, after the wedding was when Alistair finally realized that the Grey Warden he thought of that day, and Kailee were _actually_ related.

Kailee seemed to sense him looking at her and turned slightly to smile at him, her eyes seeming to say "I'd rather be somewhere else." Alistair could think of a few other things he'd rather be doing than sitting in a throne room with a bunch of stuck up nobles. He quickly brought his thoughts away from that direction, for the time being at least. There was plenty of time for that later.

"So you see milord," a short fat man with a bald head that would blind even the darkspawn in the sunlight stated, seemingly bringing the King out of his musings, "my fair city and its people would be happy if you were able to send us some soldiers to stop these riots between our people." The man looked up expectantly at Alistair, waiting for him to agree. A few of the other nobles also turned from their talks and turned to look at the King.

"Why not just let them go deal with it themselves? They seem hell bent on doing that anyways." Alistair blinked and turned to look at his wife, her light tone of sarcasm going over the nobles heads, but it did not escape his notice. He chuckled lightly.

"Yeah just throw them out on a big field and let them go at it. That will _surely _put a stop to those riots." Alistair smiled and laughed slightly. A couple of the other nobles, including Arl Eamon, who was visiting and presiding at the meeting, laughed, catching onto the joke. The fat man standing in the middle of the room thought to himself for a moment.

"You know…that may actually work!"

All laughter stopped as everybody looked at the man like he had grown a second head. Alistair almost fell out of his seat.

"Uhm…excuse me?" Kailee glanced at him and shrugged, her eyes seemingly questioning the man's apparent lack of sarcasm.

"Yes! If we stick them all out on a big field to have them fight it out…we will finally get some peace in the city! Granted they will not be fighting with weapons of course. It will be just like a fight in a bar! Except there's no bar…and no ale…" Alistair groaned and laid his head on his hand, shaking it slowly.

_Maker save me. I'm slowly losing my mind._ He sighed and leaned back, closing his eyes and rubbing the sides of his temples, slowly lowering the oncoming headache he was feeling. Arl Eamon cleared his throat and stepped forward, walking in front of the long table that stretched the middle of the room to stand in front of the King.

"If I may add one more thing, my lord? There have been numerous darkspawn sightings to the south and east, in the Bannorn, and near the Dales. Though they do seem like raiding parties, I still worry if they may try to invade and conquer some of the smaller villages, and drive the people out. They have become more frequent lately, which is odd for them." Alistair and Kailee looked at each other, concerned looks flashing between them. Kailee looked at his eyes with her own, and right away he knew she wanted to help. He nodded slowly, warily. Kailee smiled in thanks and stood up, stepping forward to address Eamon.

"I will help lead an expedition if that is what you wish us to provide." The murmurs that proceeded sounded like light thunder throughout the room. Kailee looked from each noble to the other, her eyes sweeping the room, waiting for them to calm down before she spoke again. "We need some more Grey Wardens out near the Dales and Bannorn to help quell the darkspawn numbers, and I remember traveling there. There seemed to be a couple of abandoned castles that could be used as outposts." Alistair smiled as he watched his wife, marveling at how well she held the nobles' attention. She was something else, he was not afraid to admit that. The nobles started to murmur and whisper amongst themselves again, taking their sweet time in evaluated the situation at hand.

"If we let you go however, my Queen, who will be here to keep our King in check?" Arl Eamon asked while casting a glance at the man in question. Alistair mumbled something under his breath before looking back at his wife who turned to address the Arl.

"Well in order to do that he would have to come with me, would he not?" A smirked played with her lips, threatening to show. Everyone in the room fell silent as they stared at the Queen.

Again, he had to admit she was something else. _Oh that sly fox. _Alistair smiled and stood up, walking to stand next to his wife. "I think that it is a great idea. The Grey Wardens are needed now more than ever, and a little more into the ranks will inspire hope in some people, I would believe." He leaned forward slightly and whispered in Kailee's ear, "And a little vacation from these pricks would be nice too." Kailee had to stifle a giggle, her mouth pulled up into a grin.

Before anything else could be said, muffled shouts from outside the room floated in through the cracks in the door. Apparently something slipped past the guards and they were chasing it. The entire room fell silent, straining to hear what was being said. Suddenly, the heavy wooden doors flew open, a giant blur of brown rushing past them, straight towards Alistair and Kailee. _Oh, no, no, no, no, no. Maker why do you find it funny to torment me…_ Alistair's eyes widened as the mabari hound jumped onto his chest, knocking him down. Kailee gave a desperate glance to Arl Eamon, who nodded and stepped forward, telling the nobles that the meeting was over. The noble's snickered and smiled, amused at the situation the King was in. It did not happen regularly, but it was nice for them to see a lighter side of the royal family that was not all serious. The mabari barked and licked Alistair's face, much to his dismay, before jumping off and trotting over to his master. A little girl was seated on the hounds back, her brown curls bouncing as Bello moved to where Kailee was. The five year old grinned as she saw her mother, reaching up with her hands.

"Mommy! Did you see what Bello did to Daddy? He was funny!" Kailee smiled as she knelt down to scratch Bello's head. She looked at her daughter and tilted her head to the side.

"How in Andraste's name did you get so filthy, Lil?" Lilly grinned and rubbed her muddy hands down Kailee's cheeks, before looking at her and laughing. "Gee…thanks child." She shook her head and wiped her cheeks off, before scooping Lilly up in her arms and turned to look at Alistair, who was busy trying to fend the hound off while trying not to get dirty. "What am I going to do with you two?" She grinned and whistled, Bello whipping his head over to her, his tongue hanging from his mouth. "Come on, let's go get you cleaned up. We have a dinner to attend tonight."


	2. Of Thieves

**Thanks to you people that reviewed and also to the people that put my story on their favorites list. I really appreciated it! And it helps motivate me to keep writing, so..keep reviewing please! =)  


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Trials and Tribulations**

Of Thieves

Denerim was just as bustling and chaotic as ever, merchants selling their goods in the town square, while people milled about, moving from one store to the other. Small livestock ran around, chickens clucking while dogs chase after them. Children ran after the dogs, trying to pet them while their parents scolded them, or laughed. Elise walked through the crowd, trying not to bump into any of them as they passed. She looked down and grinned as her mentor's wolf trotted alongside her, wagging his tail and licking his chops as he spotted the chicken.

"Now now Lokin. We don't want you getting full off of chicken meat before Mark brings us dinner, now do we?" Lokin looked at her and cocked his head to the side before resuming his stare of the crowd around the two. Elise sighed and pulled her cloak around her tighter, feeling a little claustrophobic. Why did her mentor have to leave her alone in the middle of Denerim, she has yet to find out.. She shook her head as she remembered what he told her.

_~*~_

"_I want you to get these items for me. We'll be staying in Denerim for a couple of days_, _so we'll need to stock up on items." They had stopped about five miles outside of the city, and Elise was left in charge of shopping. Mark looked down at his student and smirked, placing a hand on her head. "And remember, no stealing. I may not be there to save your sorry ass if you get in trouble."_

"_Like I could get caught anyways. I don't need to be reminded." Though it was meant to sound offensive, Elise smiled up at him and moved out from under his hand. He watched her walk down the road before turning and kneeling next to Lokin. The wolf panted and licked his hands. _

"_Watch over her boy. I don't want her to get in trouble." The wolf barked and trotted along after Elise, heading towards the Denerim Market. _

_~*~_

She sighed and rolled her eyes. She was starting to get hungry, and her stomach voiced it's complaints to her. Even though Mark gave her three sovereigns, one little theft couldn't hurt, right? She raised her finger to her lips and looked pointedly at the wolf, who looked up at her and cocked its head. She crept around to the back of a food store that was selling fruit. She hid behind some barrels, waiting for the owner to either turn around or go back into the shop. She hoped the hood on her cloak would provide a good enough cover, and was just about to reach out when Lokin ran out in front of the shop and snagged an apple, tossing it into the air and catching it. The shopkeeper saw the wolf and shouted, taking off as the wolf bolted down the street. Elise stifled a giggle and jumped out from behind her cover, grabbing two apples. A hand on her shoulder stopped her abruptly, as she slowly turned to find the owner glaring down at her, holding his hand out. Her stomach growled again as she looked at the apples. She had made up her mind. She turned and brought up her leg, planting her foot into the shopkeepers stomach, doubling him over. She took off running, following Lokin's trail down the street.

"Hey, thief! Stop her!" The cries rang out throughout the district as she looked over shoulder. She squeaked as she saw four men chasing after her. She stuffed the apples under her armor and took off running, weaving her way through the crowd. _I wonder where the wolf took off too…I could use his nose right now._ She jumped over a stray cart, and turned sharply into a dark alley. She breathed heavily and crouched behind some crates, waiting until the men passed her. They stopped and talked amongst themselves for a while, before turning around and walking back the way they came.

She waited a few more minutes before seating herself down on the ground. She took the two apples out and grinned at her latest catch. Finally, now she could eat. She took a bite, smiling as she savored her small meal. She was about to take another bite, when she couldn't feel the apple in her hand anymore. She opened her eyes and blinked. _Hey, where did it go?!_ She looked around, to find it stuck in the wall, sticking to a dagger.

"Well look what we have here boys. A young woman lost in our territory." The man was tall and slightly built, from what she could see. He looked rugged and dirty, his dark hair in an unruly mess. He had a wicked smirk on his face as five other men, each one bulkier than the last, walked out from their hiding places. "It isn't every day a beautiful woman like yourself wanders off alone, and with food. You must be a thief." She snorted and glared at him.

"Like you know anything about me. Why don't you crawl back where ever you came from." The man laughed and crossed his arms, walking closer to Elise. She gulped and stepped back. She didn't have any weapons on her, Mark took her daggers off after she tried to steal food from their pack for the trip to the market. She cursed herself for being a clepto. A man came behind her and grabbed her from behind, locking her arms behind her head as she yelped, kicking wildly. "Hey! Put me down!" The man that held her laughed, his breathe catching her nostrils, almost making her gag.

"Look boss, we got ourselves a lively one!" His thick accent penetrating the air. She groaned and lifted herself up, a blade sliding out of the tip of her boot. She arched forward and swung upwards, digging the blade into the man's thick shoulder. He screamed out curses as he dropped her. Elise didn't waste any time as she took off deeper into the alley, the six men giving chase after her.

Her breathe came hard and fast as adrenaline pumped through her. She thought about just taking to the shadows, but she wasn't sure how long she could hide. She rounded a corner and almost smacked into a brick wall, skidding to a stop.

_Dead end…crap. _She really wished that she hadn't stolen from her mentor. Maybe then she would have her daggers still. She sighed and closed her eyes, turning around and taking a gulp of air. The six bulky men seemed t fill up the alley in front of her, the man she injured stepping forward. He cracked his knuckles and rushed forward. His speed caught her off guard, as she dodged to the side. He grabbed her arm and slammed her back into the wall, knocking the wind out of her. Her eyes watered from the pain as he latched his hand around her throat.

"Now now, we don't want to kill her yet. I haven't had my fun yet." She turned her head slightly as she caught sight of their leader stepping forward to cup her face. "My, such a beautiful woman. And all alone in these alleys. Don't your parents teach you better?"

She spat in his face. That was not smart, because he reached back and smacked her hard. She bit back a cry as she glared angrily at him. He smirked and went to hit her again. He stopped suddenly as she was dropped suddenly and looked at his companion, who now had a dagger through his wrist, screaming in pain. He stopped short as another dagger flew inches past his face, sticking itself into the wall behind him. A bead of sweat dripped down his forehead as the temperature suddenly dropped rapidly. He gulped and looked down at Elise, who was looking behind him.

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Well here you're introduced to Elise. I know it's short, but i wanted to get the next chapter out so i can work on the third one, which is in the works. Also if someone would like to beta this, or if you have any ideas, feel free to say them! It helps me a lot. Next chapter I'll bring in main central character, i promise! lol i just wanted to give an introduction to the characters the fic mainly centers on.

As always reviews are welcomed, so R&R!


	3. Enter Mark

Enter Mark

_Well, it seems Denerim hasn't changed that much. _The Warden Commander smiled to himself as he walked through the city, his blue eyes wandering from side to side, taking in their surrounds. He was right, the bustling city was just as nostalgic as ever, though he did not mind. He came here for supplies, and meet some people, and he wanted his apprentice to take in new places. He sighed as he rubbed the back of his head. _Sometimes I do wonder about that woman._ Mark shook his head and walked up to a door with a sign over it stating 'Wade's Emporium'. A smile pulled at the corners of his mouth as he opened the door, shifting the weight of the large sack he was carrying.

The sight that greeted him as he entered the small shop made Mark lift an eyebrow in curiosity, and slight amusement. Master Wade was not a small scrawny man to say the least, and the fact that he had three people, high class people by the look of it, try and intimidate him almost made the Warden want to laugh. He dropped his bag on the floor with a heavy thud, and tightened the cloak around his body, hiding the armor and weapons he had on underneath.

"I hope I'm not interrupting anything." He put on a fake smile as the three men turned. Wade leaned over to look at his new customer, and grinned.

"Ah, Warden! I'm surprised you came by to visit!" Mark walked up and leaned against the counter, crossing his arms over his chest as he stared at the three noblemen, each of them sporting sword and shield and chainmail.

"Right, well, we will be taking our leave then. We will be back for our payment Wade." As they walked out and shut the door behind them, Mark sighed and took off the cloak, dropping it on the counter. He wore the Warden Commander armor Alistair had given to him after he became King, and it already had chips and scratches down it. Wade arched his brow as he saw the worn out armor.

"Maker's breath, what happened?"

"Darkspawn ambush." That was the end of that conversation. The Warden's tone was so icy it sent shivers down Wade's spine. Mark finished taking off the chest plate and dropped it with a thud on the counter top. "I was hoping you could fix this, I have some materials in that bag over there." The thick, heavy sack slid at the armor smiths' feet as he bent down to open it up. What he saw, he did not expect.

~*~

_By the Maker…what the hell has that girl gotten herself into now…_ Mark weaved and twisted through the tight alleys of Denerim, chasing after his wolf. Lokin was sitting out in front of Wade's store, and as soon as he saw his master, took off running through Denerim. Now Mark was on a frantic chase after the wolf, and his apprentice. The leather armor that Wade had lent him was easy enough to run in, but compared to his other armor, not as comfortable. Adrenaline pumped through his body as Mark caught up with Lokin and skidded around a corner. What he saw made his heart stop and his blood boil.

Elise was held up against a wall by a giant of a man, choking the life out of her. The two were surrounded by five other men, and by the look of them Mark guessed they were from the northern part of Anderfels. Lokin hunched over and growled, baring his teeth as Mark pushed magic through his body, dropping the temperature of the air quickly. His hands grabbed the daggers quickly as he threw them, one hitting the man that held Elise in the arm, the other passing inches from the others face. Lokin's hair stood on end as he growled louder, causing everyone there to turn and look at him. He spotted Elise on the ground, staring at him with relief and slight fear.

_At least she's safe._ He stood up straighter, glancing from one man to the next, sizing them up. He placed a hand on Lokin's head, calming the wolf down as he walked forward. "I suggest you let the girl go safely, otherwise, this could end very badly for you." He stopped in front of them and took off his cloak. Aside from the daggers that were now gone, The Warden Commander was weaponless. The leader of the gang laughed, showing off his yellow stained teeth.

"And just what is a defenseless man going to do against a bunch of armed men like us? You stand no chance." A dark smirk etched its way onto Warden's face, his muscles tightening as he widened his stance a bit. The air grew colder around them as the wind started blowing a light breeze through the alley.

"Well, if you feel your words carry any weight to them," Mark's eyes darkened as his irises changed from an icy blue color to a deep red, "then come and try it." His expression hardened as he crouched low. The leader did not waste any time as he unsheathed his great sword, charging forward as the other men followed behind him. He brought the sword up over him and swung it down in a massive arc. Mark sidestepped it and brought his foot up, planting it into the man's solar plexus. He picked up the great sword as it fell, and used the pommel to butt the man in the face, knocking him out cold. He stuck the sword into the ground and dodged another swipe as the rest of the men attacked him.

Elise had never seen this side of her mentor before. Sure she knew that Mark was the Commander of the Grey Wardens in Ferelden, so she was certain he could fight well, but she never thought it would be…so _beautiful._ She had no other words to describe it. He made it look like a dance.

Mark shot a glance to Lokin, and pointed over to Elise, who was watching the spectacle with wide eyes. Lokin darted passed the fight and grabbed the two daggers by the hilt, dropping them in front of the girl. Elise blinked and looked from the wolf to the daggers, then back at the wolf. She grinned and scratched Lokin behind the ears, standing and grabbing her daggers. She yelped and ducked out of the way as another one of the five men flew into the wall, cracking the stone as he fell over. Elise looked back as Mark stood with holding the remaining two men at sword point, each sword in his hand pointed at their throats. Elise could clearly see his knuckles bleeding, and wondered slightly just how strong her mentor was.

Mark glared at the man in front of him, the one who had chocked Elise. He motioned for him to lean forward. "Hey, I have something interesting that you may want to hear." The man blinked and leaned forward, oblivious to the second sword in the Warden's other hand whipping through the air. The blade cleanly cut through his throat as Mark flipped the first sword and shoved it through the other man's torso. They fell with a thud as he threw the swords to the side, and wiped his face off. He sighed, his eyes turning back to their normal icy blue as he looked at his pupil. Lokin sat on his haunches, wagging his tail happily. Elise smiled and ran towards Mark, hugging him tightly.

"Thank you…for coming to save my sorry ass." She looked up at him and grinned. Mark looked down at her and placed a hand on the back of her head.

"Well, the important thing is that no one important got hurt, right?" She laughed and scratched the back of her head.

"I guess so. Though I forgot to get the stuff you wanted me to get." She looked down and shuffled nervously, waiting for him to smack the back o her head, like he always did when she messed things up. She looked up shocked however when he started laughing. He ruffled her red hair again.

"Don't worry about it Elise. We have plenty of time to get the stuff before we leave. For now, let's hurry and get to the palace before nightfall. I'd hate to be back here when it gets dark."

"Well if I did not know any better, I would say you, the great Commander of the Grey Wardens, is scared of walking in the dark." Elise leaned to the side to look past her mentor as a slight Orlesian accent filled the alley.

Mark turned and smiled as he caught sight of the woman who walked up to them. "Leliana, what a surprise. I didn't expect to find you lurking around back here." Leliana smiled and hugged the Warden.

"It has been a while since you last came and visited. I was beginning to think you forgot about us important people in Denerim."

"Oh perish the thought, how could I ever do such a thing? You're right though, it has been a while since I visited. I missed everybody. Oh, Leliana, this is my apprentice and the newest recruit to the Wardens. Elise, this is an old friend of mine, she helped my sister defeat the Blight."

Elise smiled and bowed to the bard. "I'm Elise, it's nice to finally meet you." She blinked as she finally let the last part of the sentence sink in. "Wait…your SISTER is the Queen?! You two are related?!" She felt like she was about to faint.

"Uh, not by blood. Heh. My family was close friends with Kailee's mother and father. And when they…died…her parents happily took me in and raised me as their own." He smiled sadly as he remembered his parents. "I was recruited into the Grey Wardens about six months before Howe took over." Elise's mind was reeling with this information. She had so many questions now to ask. Leliana cut her short from asking them, however.

"Come, let us make our way to the castle now. There is a feast soon to begin and I'm sure you want to scare the Maker out of the King and Queen."

A mischievous grin set itself on Mark's face. "What are we waiting for then? There's fun to be had!" With that, the three of them set off towards the castle.

* * *

So here you're introduced to the actual main character of this here story at last, and given a tiny bit of his background (trust me...theres alot! lol and it's all very interesting to see how it unfolds throughout the story) So R&R, and tell me what you think =)


	4. Feast of Rememberance

_Thanks for all of you who have stuck with the story so far and reviewed! Sorry it's a bit slow, but I promise it will pick up! _

_And a big thank you to **Melismo** for helping my with ideas =) _**_  
_**

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Feast of Remembrance

A loud groan escaped the Queens lips as she flopped herself down onto her bed, the sheets flowing up and slowly falling back down. She watched them as they moved, her tired eyes following their movements. She rubbed her eyes and sat back up, watching the servants scanter back and forth around the room, fussing over every little thing. Her mouth twitched as she put on a small smile, before groaning again and falling back onto the bed.

_Maker's breath, that child is going to be the death of me…_ She smiled as she thought of her daughter. Apparently leaving Lilly alone in the bathing room was a bad idea. The child had somehow managed to flood the room, and the water seeped out into the hall. All the servants were in an frenzy trying to clean it, though most of them could not hid their smiles at the King and Queen's only daughter. Kailee did not mind it, accidents happen, though she could not help but wonder if Lilly had done it on purpose. She shook her head and sat up, getting off the bed. She was just about to walk out of the room when one of the maids stopped her.

"My Lady, where are you going?" Kailee blinked and froze. Truth be told, she had not thought of where she was going to go. She hoped to steal Alistair away from Eamon to spar a little. She looked down at her hands, which had softened over the years, though the scars were still visible. She turned, her shoulder length brown hair, in all its unruly mess, hiding part of her face as she looked towards her aide. Elsye hid her giggle as she smiled, walking up to the Queen. She had been Kailee's closest friend for three years, and the only elf to work in the castle.

"Uh…nowhere?" She grinned sheepishly as Elsye arched her brow, her hands planted firmly on her hips.

"You have to get ready for the ceremony today! Remember?" Kailee blinked again. Crap, she had forgotten all about that. Blame her daughter. She sighed as Elsye steered Kailee back towards the middle of the room. All the other servants in the room were running around, gathering cloths and other essentials to put on the Queen, trying to get her ready.

Kailee stood in the middle of the room, her arms out beside her as the servants undressed her and dressed her at least a dozen times. She closed her eyes and thought, as she always did during these procedures, of her time during the Blight. The adventures she and Alistair had, along with the peaceful moments at camp. It brought a smile to her face, and a deep feeling of longing in her heart. How she wished for those days of freedom again. Granted, she liked the life she led now, though there were always those moments. Her mind flittered over to her love again. She wondered if he was being put through the same tortures as well. A poke to the ribs brought her out of her musings.

"Turn around."

Blink. "What?"

"Turn around, my Lady."

Another blink. "Why?" That earned her a swat to the forehead. "Ow, what did you go and do that for?"

"Because you're being difficult. Now turn around so I can fix your dress." Kailee rubbed her forehead and sighed, turning around and waiting for Elsye to finish. "There! All done." Kailee stepped towards the mirror and looked at her reflection. She giggled to herself as she spun in a circle.

"Oh, I hope the good King doesn't trip over his feet when he sees me." Elsye laughed and made her sit down, fixing her hair.

"I'm sure he'll fall head over heels…again." Both women laughed.

~*~

Alistair was not having fun, not at all. He was stuck in his chambers with Eamon for the past four hours, going over the different histories of Fereldan and the other nations of Thedas, and family lineage. His head hit the desk with a hallow thud, groaning. Eamon chuckled and put the scrolls and paper aside, pulling out a wine bottle.

"You may have to get something stronger, Eamon. This headache is killing me."

"Now now Alistair, we don't want the King drunk at Fereldan's ceremony, now do we?" The King sighed as he rubbed his temples, taking a sip of the red wine slowly. It reminded him of nights in camp, when Wynne would bring out wine after a hard days battle. The thought of the elder mage brought a sad smile to his features. The mage had passed away two years ago, and it was a sad day for both him and his wife. That was the last time that all of them, minus Morrigan and Sten, had gathered together to pay their respects. Leliana was still in Denerim, which surprised him. She had talked about travelling after the blight, but he guessed she decided to stay and help Kailee with Lilly.

Eamon took a sip of his wine and cleared his throat, breaking Alistair out of his thoughts. "I heard today from some of the guards, that a gang from Anderfels got what they deserved today." That perked Alistair's curiosity. He had heard the rumors. That certain group was always causing trouble in the city. Everyone seemed to fear them, even some of the guards. He wondered what happened.

"Yes, I heard that it was from one person, though I highly doubt that." Eamon smiled behind his glass at the ex- Templar. "You know who it was, don't you? You old nug." Eamon chuckled and got up.

"Come on, your Majesty. It's time to get prepared for the ceremony.

~*~

The ceremony went off without a hitch, which was surprising to say the least. Alistair was shocked, and slightly relieved, that nothing went wrong. He looked over to his wife, who was stunning. She wore a simply, loose purple dress. It was not too fancy or embroidered, but it fit her perfectly, and accented her violet eyes well. His stomach seemed to do a back flip when he first saw her, and he almost ran into Arl Eamon as she passed by him. Kailee looked back at him and took hold of his hand, squeezing it as she kissed him lightly on the lips.

"Come, my King. We have a feast to attend. Then we can be alone for the rest of the evening." Her eyes flashed something mischievous as he grinned and kissed her again.

"Oh I can't wait."

They pushed open the doors that entered into a giant dining hall. To Alistair, this was the best part of the day. A chance to eat and be next to his wife and daughter, while pretending to listen to the nobles as he inhaled his food…in a Kingly manner. Kailee nudged his ribs as he eyed the mountain of cheese, his mouth watering. He had to thank the cook personally. Though he was surprised there was any left, after he and Kailee raided the larder almost every evening. He took his wife's hand again and walked to the head of the table. Everyone gathered stopped and stood up as they looked expectantly at their King.

That was one thing he never seemed to get better at…speeches. "Well, I never thought I would have to make another speech before dinner…seeing as last year's did not go over so well." A couple of nobles hid their laughed, remembering how badly that went. "So…another year has passed, and I could not be happier. The Blight is long since over, and we can tend to our matters without having to worry about Darkspawn." This elected some cheers from the group in front of him. "However there is still rebuilding to do. Even though five years have gone by, Denerim still in some places has work to be done. But, let us not dwell on that for now. Not with food in front of us." With that, he reached for a plate of cheese and sat down. Everyone gathered sat down as well and began eating.

Alistair was about to bite down, when he heard commotion outside the door. _Oh Maker…what now? _

The doors burst open as the guards standing outside the door fell to the floor, a pure white wolf leaping over them, bounding over the table, and running straight into Alistair. The King yelped and fell over with the wolf on top of him, licking his face furiously. _Twice in one day?! You are a cruel deity._ He blinked as he looked up at the wolf above him. Why did he look so familiar?

"I'm hurt, your Majesty, that you would decide to have a feast without inviting me." The King of Fereldan peered around the wolf's large head to see none other than the Warden Commander standing above him, his hand outstretched. Alistair took it and clasped the Warden on the shoulder.

"It's good to see you again Mark. Should we expect this type of visit every year?" A sheepish smile appeared on Mark's face as his wolf took it's spot next to Bello, who started to sniff him consistently

"He smelt cheese. You should know nothing gets between Lokin and cheese."

"Well, he has competition. It's nice to know you have not changed much over the years, my friend." Mark smirked as he stepped aside, letting Alistair see Elise for the first time. Kailee, after nearly killing her brother in a hug, let go of him to stare at the girl. Elise shifted nervously under their gaze. She bowed gracefully.

"My name is Elise, my liege. I'm his recruit." Alistair smiled and shook the girl's hand, before turning back to Mark. The other nobles were busy eating to listen to the exchange, save for a few of them who had known Kailee's father. Lilly was busy trying to get on the Warden's shoulders, as Mark grinned and held her by the legs so she wouldn't fall.

"I didn't realize you were looking for recruits. How are the Wardens?" Mark set Lilly on the ground and took a seat at the table after Alistair and Kailee sat down.

"The numbers are slowly increasing. We're already at around 200 Wardens. We may have to build onto Amaranthine if the numbers increase." It was a relief to hear that. Alistair knew as soon as Kailee had married him the Mark would take up the mantle as Commander, and so far, every one of the Wardens respected him. Even the Wardens from Orlais would come to Fereldan every once in a while to get some training from him.

The feast went just as smoothly as the ceremony had. After some reminiscing of the past and Mark's travels, and getting to slowly know Elise, Alistair was glad to see that the new recruits into the Wardens were so promising. The feast was winding down, and the nobles each took their leave, thanking the King and Queen, when the doors burst open once more, and an air of urgency filled the room.

A small elf stood in the middle of the doorway, his lean body and black hair matted with blood. His eyes were wide with fear as he shakily walked towards the King and Queen and knelt before them.

"Please…my lord. The Dalish ask for your help."

* * *

Well heres the next chapter. I left it at a cliffhanger, muahaha, cause I am just that evil. The next chapter should be a much longer one, and a heartfelt one. but as always please R&R and tell me what you think!


	5. Paying Respects

Paying Respects

Elise woke up to Lokin with his nose in her face. She yelped and fell off the bed, the wolf looking down at her with his tongue hanging out. He barked and jumped off the bed, pawing at the door. Elise groaned and rubbed the sleep from her eyes, her grogginess slowly going away. She remembered bits and pieces from what happened last night. The Dalish elf running in, sputtering on about elves and forests and…werewolves? It was still hazy to her. Hopefully breakfast would clear that up. She stretched and put on her leather armor, much to Lokin's impatient whines. She smiled as she pet the wolf's head and let him out, following him down the hall. She stopped as she looked into Mark's room, finding his sword and shield leaning against the wall. She cocked her head to the side. He never left without his weapons, or at least the sword. He once told her it was a treasured gift, so why would he leave it behind? Her stomach called to her, and she forgot her confusing and began the trek to feed her stomach.

All she had to do was follow Lokin, who was headed that way. Soon enough she smelled food, and smiled as she walked into the kitchen. Lokin laid down next to the table, watching the servants and cooks run around back and forth, before growing bored and laying his head on his paws.

Elise grinned and walked up to the table, looking at all the food. Surely the King and Queen couldn't eat _all_ this food in one sitting. She made a grab for a plate of fruit, when she snatched her hand back, a red mark forming on the top of her palm.

"You may be a guest in this castle, but wait for the food to be finished!" Elise squinted her eyes as a petite elderly woman stood in front of her, a ladle in her hand, used like a weapon.

"But I just wanted a bite!"

"No buts, now scat! And take your dog with you." Lokin perked his head up and whined at the lady. He wagged his tail as she fed him a piece of meat.

"He gets some and I don't? Life is so unfair." She stopped and almost choked as the woman stuck a piece of orange in her mouth. Elise blinked stupidly and gulped it down, taking huge gulps of air.

"Happy now?" Elise grinned and bowed to the woman, saying her thanks. The woman smiled and turned back to her food as Elise pulled Lokin out of the kitchen. Once the door closed she pulled a handful of grapes out from her armor, grinning in satisfaction. She popped one up into the air, only to have it snatched out of the air. She opened her eyes and blinking, staring into the face of the bard, Leliana. The red head smiled at her expression and giggled, before popping the grape into her own mouth.

"Nothing like stolen food."

"Hey that's supposed to be mine!" Leliana smiled and turned to walk down the hall, Elise following her. "Hey…by any chance have you seen Mark today. He left his sword and shield in his room." She trailed off as she caught the look on the other woman's face. Had she said something wrong? Lokin rubbed his head under Leliana's hand, looking up at her with sympathetic eyes.

"He has not told you then, has he?" Elise shook her head. "It's not my place to tell you then, Mark will tell you when he is ready. Now come, I hear Alistair and Kailee are discussing what to do about our little situation."

~*~

Walking through the beginnings of the Alienage brought a deep ache within his heart. His small steps led him through the newly cleaned streets and buildings, though at the King's request, everything seemed to be the same, minus the sludge and grim that once littered everything in sight. His icy blue eyes scanned the surroundings as he fought the bitter sadness that crept up through him.

He stopped in front of a doorway that was all too familiar with him. His newly fixed armor was somewhat flashy, even though there was no sun out. He wanted to take it off and throw it away. He hated how it made him stand out on this particular day, where he wanted to do nothing but crawl in a hole and die. His gaze stopped when he saw the raised wooden platform. His memory flashed back to the first time he saw her, during the final battles of the Blight. He remembered how graceful she looked, even when killing darkspawn. He remembered helping to rebuild the Alienage, piece by piece. Though after she joined the Grey Wardens a month after the Blight ended, she did not have much chance to visit her family. He blinked away the tears that threatened to fall as he knocked on the door.

The door opened as a young elf looked up at him. Mark stared down at the boy, possibly no older than eight, as the boy regarded him with shrewd eyes. He did not remember seeing him the last time he came to visit.

"What do you want?" It seems after five years, the elves here still regarded humans in a bad light. A stern cough made the boy look behind him, as an elderly male elf came to the door, glaring down at the boy.

"Now is that any way to treat a Grey Warden, son?" Mark blinked and looked from the boy back up to the elderly man, who regarded him with a small sad smile. "Mark…it is good to see you again." Mark looked away and turned his gaze to the wall behind the man, collecting his thoughts. He then turned his gaze and stared back into Cyrion's gentle gaze.

"I've come to pay my respects, sir." He stepped inside as the man let him by, the boy running back to the back as the two men sat down at the table. Mark held his mug of tea with both hands, staring down into the cup like it would drown him.

"I knew you would come. You always do. It's been four years today…how are you holding up?" The Warden looked at him with sad, tired eyes. To Cyrion, he seemed much older than appeared, though such was the tragedy of living the life of a Warden.

"As well as anyone should, I suppose." He took a sip and looked down into his cup again for a long moment. "Today is really the only day that I take the time to grieve over what happened, and let out the feelings that I bottled up. I miss her, and it hurts every day."

Cyrion patted the Warden's shoulder as he stood to refill the cups. Mark looked at him with gratitude. A long silence passed between them, no words being able to express their feelings. Mark sighed and stood up.

"You know, for as much as she was a rebel, and a spitfire, she loved you. She had nothing but praise for you, and I am glad to know that you could have been my son-in-law."

Mark shifted his weight, looking down, not wanting the man to see his tears. The words he said were almost inaudible, though Cyrion her them. "It was supposed to be our wedding day." The elf walked over and placed a comforting hand on the warrior's shoulder, before pulling him into a tight hug.

"I know, son. It brings me no joy that a day of happiness should be shattered the way it has. I miss her too." Mark hugged him back before stepping away, a fierce fire blazing in his eyes.

"Those bastard darkspawn will pay. Even if I have to catch and kill every single one of them." His fist tightened with an audible crack, and Cyrion swore he felt the temperature rise with the Warden's anger. Even through the anger, he could not help but feel proud for the man in front of him, proud to call him his son, even though both men were of different race.

"And I know they will come to regret it. Know that you and your friends are welcome here anytime, Mark, and give my regards to the King and Queen when you see them. Shianni is at her marker, if you were going there next."

"Thank you…for everything Cyrion. It really means a lot to me." With one last look at theelder elf he thought of as a father, he thanked him again and walked out.

~*~

The grave site was simple enough. It stood on a hill just outside the Alienage, but easily visible. It was nothing fancy or elaborate, and Mark knew she would have liked it that way. He spotted a figure standing in front of the marker, her shoulder length red hair blowing in the light breeze. Mark cleared his throat and walked up to her. Shianni turned sharply, not expecting him, about ready to draw her daggers when she spotted her Commander. He lowered her arms and smiled, before pulling him into a hug, her light sobs muffled by his armor. Mark hugged her back gently and held her, looking at the marker over her head. Shianni turned and sat by him as they stared at the marker, flowers planted around it for looks, and a small tree growing behind it. No words were shared between the two Wardens as they sat and thought about the woman that had such a deep impact on both of their lives.

_Elissa 'Elli' Tabris_

_Devoted cousin, daughter, wife, and Grey Warden. _

_May the Maker accept you with all the love and grace you showed every one. _


	6. The Game

The Game

"So…apparently we're being thrown into another grand adventure?" Alistair hadn't stopped pacing since they all met in the throne room for privacy, and it was making Kailee dizzy. She placed a hand on her forehead to stop looking at her husband.

"Well, we should wait for Mark…though…knowing what today is, he shouldn't be back until tomorrow." The room suddenly held a sorrowful atmosphere as the party shared a silent pray for their friend, and fellow Grey Warden.

Elise looked down at the ground deep in thought. Alistair and Kailee told her of what happened to Mark, she wanted to talk him about it and maybe help comfort him. He had done so much for her, so she thought at least she should return the favor.

"Yes…but aside from that, where should we start? I mean…which of us will make the journey? We both can't leave, then Denerim will be without it's King and Queen." Alistair bit his lip as he ran a gauntleted hand through his blonde hair, sighing as he finally stopped pacing.

"I'm surprised that you came up with that, Alistair. Seems you being King gave you a brain." All their heads snapped towards the doorway as Mark entered the room, followed by Shianni at his side. Lokin barked and ran up to his master, licking his hands as Mark smiled and petted the wolf. Kailee ran up to him and pulled him into a long hug, which he gladly returned. "Thank you for your concern, but I'm fine. It's getting...easier…to cope with." He cast a small glance at the elf by his side, who returned it with a small smile. Kailee smiled and hugged Shianni as well. Shianni blushed and patted her back, not yet used to the affection.

"Well I'm glad that you both are ok, and here. We've been trying to discuss what to do about our situation." Mark rubbed his cleanly shaven chin as he walked to the middle of the room, deep in thought. He stopped as he turned and looked at everyone in the room.

"Well, what Alistair said before is right. Kailee, you and Alistair cannot both go. It would add more to our group, and for this we do not want that large of a group. It would only slow us down, no offence." Kailee glared at her brother, pouting. "So I propose that Elise, Shianni and I go, as well as Lokin." The wolf wagged its' tail happily, glad to be admitted into the group. "And Alistair."

Said King spat out the tea he had just drank from his cup, glancing stupidly at the Warden Commander in front of him. "Excuse me?"

"You heard me. You're coming with us. I need another warrior with me in our group, and besides me and Shianni, you're the only other one that fully understands The Game"

Elise and Kailee noticed as Alistair and Mark's eyes seemed to light up at the mention of The Game. Both of the women shared a look and shrugged. "The Game? What game are you two talking of?"

"Alistair never taught it to you?"

"No…he never even mentioned it." A side glance at Alistair from his wife had him fidgeting.

"Well, you were the only other warrior, besides Sten, and Maker knows he wouldn't have understood it!" Kailee sighed and stuck her tongue out at him, causing Mark and Shianni to laugh. "Say, speaking of which, where is Leliana? Did she not come with you, Elise?" Elise's head perked up at the mention of her name, and she blinked.

"She only escorted me, then she said she had some shopping to do. For what, I do not know." Mark shrugged and turned back, staring up at the picture of King Maric that hung on the wall.

"All well, it does not matter for the moment. So…about this business with the werewolves. I heard the rumors that a darker breed was forming, though I did not imagine they would be the same as the ancient werewolves. We need to be careful when traveling West. Maker only knows who could be a come nightfall." The Warden Commander turned back to his companions, a grim expression setting on his features.

"For now, I suggest we travel light. We can pick up supplies after traveling to Soldier's Peak, then to Redcliffe. We'll stay at Eamon's for a couple of nights, before heading through the Frostback's towards the Dales." Elise sat next to Lokin against the wall as the wolf laid it's head on her lap, begging for attention. Bello was playing with Lilly in the corner of the room, his silent barks and her laughter piercing through the silence that followed.

Alistair looked towards his daughter and wife and smiled sadly. In all the years they spent together, they probably have not been separated from each other this long before. It made his heart ache slightly at the thought. Kailee caught his look and smiled warmly at him. She took his hand and squeezed it lightly, assuring him without words that it would be fine.

"So…when do we leave? And what do we do in the meantime?" Mark turned his gaze to his best friend, and fellow Warden, his expression turning dark.

"Tonight. And to answer your other question….we prepare for the Joining." Alistair sucked in a breath as he stared back with an equal dark expression. Both men's eyes flickered over to the young woman seated at the wall next to the wolf. Alistair nodded, and licked his lips.

"I see, so she hasn't gone through the Joining yet?"

"No, I wanted to wait until we reached Denerim to get everything set up. I was hoping we could use the throne room, before we leave. I have the vial of darkspawn blood, as well as a batch from the Archdemon in my supplies." A small smile crept on his face as he looked at his apprentice. "She tried to steal it from me once, not knowing what it was."

Alistair chuckled at that. Kailee out right laughed, making Elise take her attention away from the wolf.

"What's so funny? Are you guys talking about me?" She cast an accusing glare at her mentor, who rubbed his finger under his nose, smirking at her.

"Maybe, you can't prove anything though." Elise stuck her nose up in the air and looked away from him, crossing her arms over her still developing chest.

"Bullshit." Mark grinned and Shianni smirked, before looking towards the Queen.

"And what will you do while we are away, my Lady?" Kailee hummed to herself in thought.

"Well, I guess taking care of the citizens, as well as trying to search up anything on the werewolves. I heard as well that there were increased amounts of darkspawn raids in the area, so I may take some Grey Wardens with me to the Bannorn and set up outposts there." Shianni nodded in acknowledgment.

"Good, we'll need all the protection we can get. Especially with the increasing darkspawn ranks." Mark sighed and rubbed the back of his head.

"They're getting tougher and tougher to kill. I don't yet understand why they have not retreated since the Archdemon was slain. It's puzzling, and needs to be researched on." Alistair placed a hand on the Warden's shoulder.

"For now, let us get the Joining underway, and pray we don't lose anyone this time around." Mark smiled and glanced at Elise again.

"Don't worry. If anyone can escape death and come out swinging, it's that girl."

~*~

The night was dark and chilly, the winds picking up. Elise walked with Shianni and Kailee down the torch lit hallway, clad in her black leather armor, her curved daggers sheathed at her hips. She was feeling anxious and slightly scared, and kept on biting her bottom lip. Her hair was pulled into a loose bun, and her forest green eyes darted from Kailee to Shianni. They walked into the throne room, and she spotted a silver chalice sitting on the table, in the middle of the room.

Mark turned as he heard them enter, his Grey Warden shield and Elissa's sword strapped to his back, the silverwrite daggers sheathed on eiter side of his leggings. Alistair wore a similar armor to the Commanders, only his without the symbols, sporting Duncan's shield and sword. (A/N: yes I have Return to Ostagar. I still have it on my X-box even though it was pulled XD I rock).

Elise walked up to her mentor and bowed, before looking into his eyes. They seemed to be searching her soul, and she felt a small shiver wander down her body. Of what feeling, she could not tell.

"You have been called to forgo the Joining. You have been called to sacrifice your life to the slaying of darkspawn by whatever means necessary." And that was putting it lightly. "Are you prepared?"

"Yes." Mark nodded to Alistair, who bowed his head.

"Join us, brothers and sisters. Join us in the shadows where we stand vigilant. Join us and know, that when you perish, that we will soon join you." Mark took the cup and handed it to Elise, who took it and stared at the contents in the cup. The black liquid seemed to sense her, as it swirled around in the cup. She felt many feelings at once, anxious, scared, anticipation, as well as a sense of belonging. Without hesitation she drank, almost gagging as the liquid slithered down her throat. She was still for a few seconds, before an agonizing pain overcame her. It felt like her entire body was burning, and she couldn't do anything but endure it. Her eyes flashed grey, as they rolled ot the back of her head. She passed out cold then, sinking to the floor.

Mark caught her before she fell, holding her in one arm, and the cup in the other. He set her on the ground slowly, checking her vitals. She had survived. He heaved a sigh of relief, happiness washing over him. He stood and placed the cup back on the table, before turning to the others with a smile.

"She passed. When she wakes we must leave. It will take about three days to reach Soldier's Peak, and another five to get to Redcliffe, if we are lucky."

~*~

_This is not how I planned it._ Something was wrong, something had to be. Soldier's Peak was _quiet._ It was never like this, not with the Drydens, and a couple of Grey Wardens stationed there. Mark looked over the valley of snow from his perch ontop of a cliff, weighing his options. They could walk towards the Peak, and be ambushed, or they could wait it out, and see what happens. Or they could freeze their asses off. The temperature was dropping, and their food would not last through the night.

Mark's nose twitched, something it did when he usually sensed danger.

"Shianni!" She was at his side instantly, her bow strapped to her back.

"Yeeees?"

"You're creepy when you do that." She slapped his arm." Be a dear and fire an arrow that way." She did as he asked, and notched an arrow in her Dalish longbow. She angled it high and fired it. As soon as it hit the ground it exploded, a puff of snow signaling where it landed. Instantly, an army of darkspawn sprouted from the snow.

"Just as I thought, the Peak is under siege by darkspawn." He turned to Shianni. Alistair and Elise were behind her, Lokin and the Dalish elf that appeared during the feast not too far behind them. "Well ladies, elf, and Alistair."

"Heeeey." Mark ignored him.

"It seems the stakes of the Game have been raised. We have darkspawn, and _mines_." A wicked grin spread across Shianni's face, and Alistair's smirk etched on his face.

"The rules, oh fearless commander?" Mark's face hardened as a fierce, almost feral grin appeared on his face.

"There are none. Elise, since you have no idea what we are talking about, I need you and the Dalish elf to stay on the cliff and rain arrows down on the field. Shianni, Alistair and I will take the horde."

"And for Andraste's bloody sake, try not to hit us!" Elise saluted and grinned at Shianni.

"Yes ma'am!" Shianni grinned back as she, Mark, and Alistair stood at the end of the cliff.

"Alistair, you sure you remember the formation?" Alistair smirked at the Warden Commander.

"Of course, I remember when we scared Duncan with it the first time we tried it, and it was just two of us." Mark took of his sword and shield, dropping it at Elise's feet.

"Watch those, bring them when every last one of them is dead."

"But there's more than fifty of them! Why go unarmed?"

Mark turned and smiled, glancing over his shoulder. "That's the way you play the game." With that, he jumped off the cliff, Shianni and Alistair right behind him. Elise ran to the edge of the cliff and watched.

Mark took off in a sprint, followed by Alistair and lastly Shianni, who brandished her bow. Alistair unsheathed his sword and shield, as Mark took out his twin daggers.

"Break!" Shianni and Alistair ran on either side of him now, about five feet apart. The first group of darkspawn fell under the rain of arrows as Mark dodging oncoming arrows, slashing and shoving darkspawn to the side. "Shield!" He caught Alistair's shield just in time to bash a darkspawn in front of him. He blocked a blow and tossed the darkspawn to the side, only for it to be cut down by Alistair's sword. "I need arrows!"

The next few darkspawn fell as Shianni shot them with her arrows, unsheathing her daggers and slashing her way through the darkspawn, all the while holding the linear line the three Wardens made. Mark traded Alistair his shield for the sword as he side stepped and slashed the next few darkspawn, his blood pumping.

The game was rather simple. It could be made up of two or three people, though three was the best. It consisted of at least two warriors, one of them sporting sword and shield. The third member was an arched, who could dual wield. The three members must keep at a run during the battle, trading off weapons, never breaking stride. This way they could effectively carve a clear line through any sized army, all the while installing fear in the enemy. The game of it was to see how many one could kill, and it was a race. Mark and Alistair were the best at the game, having come up with it themselves, and it was a way to have fun while fighting.

The three Wardens carved a clear hole through the army, hacking and slashing their way while throwing weapons back and forth between them. Mark smirked as he saw a hole towards the end of the line. The snow around them was stained red with blood, and bodies piled up around them as they kept on running. The exploding traps the darkspawn laid out for them exploded as the darkspawn fell victim to their own traps.

"Alistair, shield!" Mark sheathed his daggers as he caught the Wardens shield easily. They managed to punch a hole through the pack, and now came to an empty valley. "Ready?" He looked at Alistair and Shianni as they nodded back at him. "Ok, sprint to the finish, go!"

The three Wardens broke out into a dead sprint as the Peak loomed before them. Before they could get there, a shadow loomed over them as a giant ogre stood in the doorway leaded to the Peak. It roared and picked up large chunks of ice, hurling it towards them. They weaved in and out of the ice boulders, taking out the remaining darkspawn behind them. The arrows that Elise and the elf were firing died out as Mark and Alistair ran forward, sword and shield brought in front of them. Shianni moved behind the two as she took out her bloodied daggers once more.

"Now!" Mark bashed the ogre with his shield as Alistair stabbed it in the stomach at the same time. The ogre roared in pain as it stumbled backwards. The two Wardens leaned forward as Shianni placed her feet on their shoulders, lunging upward in the air. She came down on the beast hard, driving it into the ground, sinking her daggers into its heart at the same time. The ogre roared in pain louder this time, as Mark walked forward with Alistair's sword. He stared the giant in the eyes and he glared, and cleaved the head off.

He tossed back Alistair's sword as they sheathed their weapons, turning back as Elise and the elf, along with Lokin, ran up to them.

"That….was amazing! Can we do it again?" Mark broke out into laughter, falling back onto the snow, breathing hard. Alistair and Shianni fell beside him, laughing as well. There were no more darkspawn in the area, they had seen to that.

"So…who won?" Alistair sat up as he look to his two companions. Shianni grinned as she sat up as well.

"I believe I claim that win, boys. You two get to set up camp when we leave." She seemed smug at her victory; though Mark could tell she was happy she won.

"Yeah…only because you had arrows. Cheater." Shianni stuck her tongue out at the King. Mark stood up and retrieved his own weapons, before turning to Soldier's Peak.

"Come on, let's go see what's going on in there."

* * *

Someone please tell me if i got the Joining part, what Alistair says at least, at tad wrong. I can't remember exactly what he says.

Anyways i had fun wiritng this chapter, and it came out longer than i had hoped. I'm thoroughly pleased, as i hope you are too for reading it. I hope you can visualize the battle as i did. R&R! =)


	7. The Trap

The Trap

"Achoo!" Elise jumped again as another loud sneeze flew from Alistair. She shot a glare at the King, whose nose was red and puffy. He sniffled and looked at her. "What? Why so jumpy?"

"You'll wake up the whole fort with that sneezing of yours. Can't you…plug your nose or something?" Alistair arched an eyebrow as he looked at the newest Grey Warden.

"Someone's a bit edgy. Darkspawn crawl up your butt?" The look Elise gave him almost made him laugh out loud. Almost.

"I don't think it would fit." That did it. Alistair couldn't stop the fit of laughter that sprang forth, making Elise blush and glare hatefully at him. "Oh stuff it."

"If you both don't shut up I'm going to knock both of your heads together." Alistair promptly shut his mouth with his hands and looked forward at Shianni, who was done glaring at them, turning back to squat next to where Mark was kneeling. They were currently on the second floor of the Peak, after climbing the walls, per their leader's instructions. Alistair squatted on the other side of Mark as they looked at the room below them.

"So what do we do? It appears the darkspawn are tearing that room apart." Mark cast a glance at Alistair as he looked down at the room.

"What I'm curious about is why there are humans in there with them. The darkspawn act like they don't even see them."

"You do not think that the darkspawn are being controlled do you?" Mark swallowed as he processed Alistair's question. If those humans, or whatever they were, could find a way to control the darkspawn, then something big was going on, and the Warden Commander did not like that. Not one bit.

"I don't rightly know Alistair. If they are…" He let the end of the sentence hang in the air, the slight foreboding and sense of doom wash over all of them. The Dalish elf paled slightly. Elise took a long look at him. He seemed to be around her age, she only just turning twenty. His skin complexion was a dark tan, no doubt from the forests he lived in. His dark blue eyes took in the room around him, darting back and forth with anticipation. She could tell he was not as experienced to battle, or else he wouldn't be sweating like that.

"So, what do you think we should do?" Mark stood and shifted the weight of his shield on his back.

"I'll try to see if I can get a closer look." He turned to Elise, who was still looking at the Dalish elf. "Elise, I want you to come with me." She jumped, startled out of her thoughts, and looked at him.

"Me? Why me?" With that, the Commander smirked.

"It's time to put that stealing talent of yours to work."

~*~

_So there are three._

Elise was currently peering over a ledge looking over a room with three darkspawn. Her and Mark had decided to leave the others not fifteen minutes ago, and already they had encountered opposition. They had made their way through half of the second floor, when her mentor had told her that they should split up. She figured they could cover much more ground faster anyways.

She blinked and squinted her eyes as she noticed one of the darkspawn pull something out of a drawer. It looked golden and long, like a necklace or pendant of some kind. The darkspawn turned to its companions and made a gurgling noise. Both the darkspawn turned and started walking towards the door that lead out of the room. Elise took that as her cue to show herself, as she jumped over the ledge and landed silently behind the darkspawn.

She hunched over and crept behind the short darkspawn that had the chain hanging out of the pack it had. Her hand was outstretched as she bit her bottom lip to keep from shaking. She just about had the chain pulled all the way out when she saw a nasty curved blade in her field of view. She yelped and jumped back, unsheathing her daggers. The Hurlock that held the sword ran towards her, growling as it swung wildly. Elise held her arms close to her body as she weaved around the Hurlock, slashing at its back leg. It crumpled to the ground, and as her blade cut across it's throat, was dead before it hit the floor.

And then there were two.

Elise yelped again as an arrow flew past her, grazing her ear. A gunlock archer was standing guard at the door, while the last darkspawn, her target, was running down the hall. She growled, frustrated that her target got away, and rushed the archer. The gunlock, too slow to react, fell face first to the floor as the rogue used its head as a cushion for her fall.

_And now there's just one…_ Elise turned another corner for what seemed like the hundredth time, only to find there was no gunlock. She could still here it, meaning she was right behind it, at least. She groaned as she found another dead end. She stopped as her eyes adjusted to the darkness. There, at the end of the hallway, was the gunlock, the chain swinging back and forth in its hand, taunting her. Elise could feel her temper rise as she watched the gunlock mock her. She was going to kill it ten times over now. She rushed forward, blinded by her frustration of the fortress, the darkspawn, and whatever the hell it was holding, that she did not notice the trip line. She winced and bit back a cry as she felt the string cut deep into her ankle. She fell to the ground hard, and covered her head as she heard a loud explosion behind her.

~*~

Mark turned sharply as he heard the explosion, worry setting onto his features as he swiped his sword to the side, blood flying off of it. Three Hurlock Alphas lay dead before him as he stepped over them, quickly running to where he heard the noise, and hopefully to Elise.

He rounded the corner and came to a halt as four darkspawn crowded the corridor, attacking two men in armor. The Warden's eyes widened in slight relief as he noticed they were the two Grey Warden soldiers he had stationed here for the Dryden's protection. He motion for them to keep fighting as he slowly unsheathed his daggers and crept behind a fighting Hurlock. The Hurlock fell to the floor as Mark's dagger penetrated the side of it's skull, killing it instantly. The other three turned and rushed him, only to be cut down by the other two Wardens.

Mark sheathed the daggers after cleaning them off and turning to his men.

"Commander, I'm glad to see you!"

"Thank the Maker! I thought we were done for sure!" the Warden Commander knelt over the downed darkspawn and grabbed whatever potions and injury kits he could find. He stopped when he noticed parchments rolled up, stuffed in the hurlock's pack. He pulled them out.

"We chased the darkspawn once they left the armory room. I do not know what they are up to, but they are looking for something."

"Yes, I was wondering that myself. The king and two other Wardens are somewhere in the fort, trying to figure out the same thing. I was trying to find our newest member before I found you two. Where are Levi and his family?" The man paled slightly as Mark turned to look at him.

"The last time me and Braan saw them, they were held captive in that mage's tower. He's dead, Commander. The darkspawn ran in and surround the fort. What was weird though, they were being led by a maleficarum…and these weird _things." _That perked Mark's curiosity.

"Things? What things?"

"They were…human like...but darkspawn. I could feel their taint. It was like a ugly cross between the two. Very…very strong. One of them killed Damen like he was a toy." Mark's eyes narrowed as he processed this information. Damen was from the Anderfels, the biggest, and strongest of the Grey Wardens in Fereldan. _Besides myself, _he added as an afterthought. It was true that Damen was indeed big, and very powerful in terms of muscle, and brute strength, but Mark had, without a doubt in his mind, that he could defeat Damen. It was not by skill or tactics, but by strength alone. All of the Wardens in Fereldan, and even when he was in Orlais, new that the Commander was tough, but no one could say for certain, besides Alistair, how powerful the warrior was.

So for Damen to fall at the hands of these…_things_ as his soldier had so put it…was unsettling for the Senior Warden indeed. Mark licked his lips and popped his neck muscles. A part of him was worried about this new predicament, but a part of him was excited. Finally, he would get some true action.

"So what do you want us to do Commander?"

"I'm sure both of you heard that explosion? I want you to find Elise. She's human, and pretty feisty. You'll know her when you see her. And then after that, I want you to find Alistair and Shianni, and then try to find the Drydens." The two Wardens nodded and saluted their commander.

"And what about you, ser?" Mark flashed them a smirk before turning on his heel.

"I'm going to find the source of this problem we have."

"May the Maker guide you, Commander." Mark stopped as he passed by the Warden, shoulder to shoulder.

"The Maker has never been kind to me." He did not wait for a response as he took off running down the corridors, where he felt the taint was the strongest.

~*~

There it was, the last possible _Maker for saken_ door in this fort. Mark heaved a sigh of relief as he ran his hand along the metal surface. Pure iron, possibly two to two and a half inches thick. He stepped back as he lifted his leg up and forcibly kicked the door open, knocking it off its hinges slightly. He brought his leg back and kicked again, this time knocking the door open. It creaked loudly, making him wince.

"Well…so much for a sneaky entrance." It took a while for him to regain his eyesight, his icy blue eyes adjusting to the darkness.

The room was almost like a library, it held so many books. Most of them were scattered on the floors, or on tables, collecting dust. He noticed some of the dust had be unsettled, possibly from whoever was looking for something. He walked around slowly, glancing at all the titles. Maybe after al this mess was delt with, he could ask Levi to send some of these books to Amaranthine for him to read. He always liked a good book to read, no matter the content.

A sound to his left made him freeze, his hand moving toward the hilt of his sword. A mixture between a growl and laugh to his right made him spin around, a frustrated breath leave his mouth.

"Why don't you quit hiding, and show yourself!"

"My,my. Has the famous Grey Warden become a little flustered? Disappointing." Mark straightened as he caught sight of a man in robes walking into view. His face was scared and bald, his dark red eyes holding an amused, evil glint to them. "So, you are the Grey Warden Commander. I'm surprised to say you exceeded even my expectations, Warden."

"Your little army outside, was like childs play." The mage laughed, clearly amused with the whole situation, or Mark's statement.

"Yes it would seem so. I did not know you would show up so soon, or bring the _King_ of all people. Though, I would not call that dimwitted fool a King." A cruel smirk etched on the mages face, and Mark could feel the taint of the darkspawn all around him. "So did you like the trap my darkspawn had made for you and your…group?"

"Your darkspawn?" This had the Warden worried.

"Yes…through experimentation, my blood magic, and the power and knowledge I gathered from that fool Avernus, I had discovered a way to bring the darkspawn under my control." The Warden gripped his hold on his sword, tensing up slightly. He could feel he was surrounded by something…powerful. Too late to back out now. A smirk formed its way on his features.

"You know you cannot hold them forever. They will eventually turn on you. The taint runs too powerful in their veins."

"On the contrary, my dear Warden. They have my own blood running through their veins." Mark's eyes widened at this statement.

"You mean-?"

"Yes! Finally you catch on! They are my own children, all devoted to me, clearly turned into half darkspawn. A mix if you will."

A chuckle. "So they're mutts, huh?"

The mage growled, lightning forming at his fingertips, before he relaxed and resumed his calm exterior. "If you could call them that…then yes, _mutts." _One of the beings walked forward into the light. What Mark saw, for all the battles and foes he had faced before, could not prepare him for what he faced now. It was human in shape, but it's skin was black and blotched, some parts of the skin puffed and blotchy. It had was giant and bulky, at least seven feet tall, and bulky. It was barefoot, and its mouth twisted into a gnarly, cruel smile. It had no hair, and its blood red eyes bore into Marks own blue ones. The sight of thing made his blood run cold.

"Do you like my creations? I have not made a name for them yet, so let's just call them Childs."

"I'd much rather prefer mutts." Mark was quick to draw his sword and charge the Child, slinging his sword in a quick arc towards its' shoulder. He waited for the predictable feel of metal cutting flesh, but it never came. He looked to see the being had caught his sword with its bare hand, slowly bending it to the side. A gasp tore itself from Mark as he was lifted up, the Child's fist buried in his gut. Mark felt his vision blur as he bit back a grunt, staggering back, his sword long forgotten.

"Well, I would love to stay and chat, Warden. But I have places to go and a legendary sword to find. So I think I will take my leave." And with that, the blood mage was gone.

Mark caught his breath and stood back up, the pain in his stomach numbing away. He cast a glance at his sword laying on the floor, and a surge of pain and anger ran through him, before he quickly breathed, calming him.

One by one, more of the beings came into view, until all six of them surrounded him in a circle.

The Grey Warden Commander of Fereldan was alone, surrounded, and his only weapon was cast to the side, beyond use. He was royally screwed.

A smirk formed its way on Mark's face as he slipped into a stance.

Not like that was going to stop him.

* * *

Ooooh, and now things get serious...well I guess more serious than previously xD. Sorry for the grammar mistakes!! I checked over them after i finished posting up the last couple of chapters, and i noticed a couple of misspellings and grammar errors. Once i put up some more chapters, I will go back and fix them on the FanFiction edit document thing, and then reload them onto the site. =/ I'm starting to think my chapters keep getting longer too. I'm not complaining though, and I hope you guys aren't either!

R&R


	8. Enough is Enough

Enough is Enough

Mark stood in the center of the room, in a waiting stance, as the six darkspawn Childs surrounded him. Their stench was enough to make rotting corpses seem like sweet flowers, and they would not stop _panting. _It was driving the Warden up the wall.

"Guess I'm just going to have to shut you up then." He ran forward, towards the first darkspawn in his line of vision. As soon as he reached it, he ducked under its fist and plowed through the Child, knocking it off its feet. He turned and dodged a kick, using his momentum to spin and kick the other two darkspawn back, causing them to stagger. They did not get stunned for long, and countered back. Mark landed hard on the ground, losing his breath slightly. He rolled out of the way of an incoming stomp, and kicked the legs out of one. He grabbed his dagger and stabbed the one that fell on the floor in the neck, twisting harshly and pulling it back out, a fountain of red blood spurting out everywhere.

One down, five to go.

The first one he knocked down was quick to get back on its feet, and after Mark got up, he was knocked right back down onto his back. Mark let out a curt "oof!" before crying out as the darkspawn slammed its foot into the Wardens breastplate, and his chest. Mark felt his vision blur again before grabbing onto the foot and pulling hard. As the darkspawn fell towards him, Mark shoved his fist into its mouth, dagger in hand. The blade shoved its way through the darkspawn's throat, protruding out the back of its skull. The other four Childs stopped, frozen in place, as they watched another one of their own die. Mark thought he saw a glint of fear, but it quickly was masked by blinding anger.

Just what he needed…

He pushed the darkspawn off of him, rolling back and spring back up, both daggers out in front of him defensively. The Warden was starting to sweat, and now that these…mutts…were even angrier than before worried him a great deal. They were already strong enough as it was. He looked down at his dented breastplate and breathed in deeply. It constricted his breathing slightly, which all in all was a bad thing. He did not have time to think on it further, because all four of them charged at once. He hoped the others were having a much better time than he was.

~*~

Alistair groaned again as he and his group came upon another dead end. Seriously, how many dead ends could you put in one place. He did not want to be here that long to find out.

Shianni came beside him as she looked at the King. "You got us lost again, didn't you? "

"I'm not lost! I just…don't know where we are at the moment." He flushed, turning his head away to hide the blush on his cheeks.

"So then, we are lost." Sure, state the obvious. Alistair stormed forward, hands clenched at his sides, trying to save what dignity he had left. At the moment, there wasn't much left. He _knew_ something bad was bound to happen if Mark ever decided to split up with them. It _always_ did.

"I'm really going to kick his ass when I find him." Shianni snorted as she looked at him, an eyebrow raised. "What? You don't think I can do it?"

"Oh no, I know you have the ability to, provided he's conscious enough for you to do it properly." Alistair rolled his eyes and sighed, rubbing the back of his head. They had found a couple groups of darkspawn and mages, but other than that, it was rather uneventful. Even the banter with Shianni was not up to its usual finesse.

And there was no getting any word from the Dalish elf, who Alistair did not think has spoken an entire word since he barged into the castle that night. To put it mildly, Alistair was _bored_.

Shianni stopped and strained her ears to listen. It was a low rumbling sound. "Alistair, do you hear that?"

Alistair stopped and listened as well, his eyes widening as he recognized what that was: a loud low rumbling noise, almost like an explosion, and a faint scream. "Oh Maker…I think that was our newest member!" Shianni and the Dalish elf, along with Lokin, were already running down the way they came, towards the noise. "Hey! Wait up!"

He did not have to wait long, or get lost anymore. Their group turned the corner and skidded to a halt as they stood with a genlock in front of them, with its back turned to them. Alistair unsheathed his sword and strode up to the darkspawn. From the way it looked, he guessed it was a gunlock spell caster. Great, he just loved those.

The genlock jumped as it sensed Alistair behind him, the gold chain dropping to the floor. Alistair swung, and knocked its head from its shoulders cleanly. He bent down and looked at the gold chain in his hand, a medallion hanging from the end of it. Maybe this was what the darkspawn were looking for?

Shianni called to him and as he looked where she was, he saw Elise. She had her head still under her arms, and a chunk of wall trapped her leg underneath it. She was trying hard not to cry from the pain, but the elven female could see her tears.

"Alistair, help me move this rubble. I think her leg might be broken."

"Right." He helped her lift the rock and his face saddened as he saw the shape of her leg. A large gash ran down the side of her leg, and her ankle was cut deeply as well. It was red, and covered in blood.

With the rock off, Elise felt an enormous weight lifted off of her, both mentally and physically. She wiped her eyes and tried to stand, but fell back down and winced as her leg shot pain up her body. Fresh tears fell as she bit back the urge to cry again. Alistair checked her for other wounds while Shianni tended to her leg, ripping cloth from her pack as she wiped away the blood.

"I don't have much, but I have a few bandages in my pack, they will half to do until we can find a healer." Elise nodded numbly at her as Shianni started to wrap her leg. Elise moaned from the pain and laid her forehead down on the floor.

"I-I don't want to move…" Alistair knelt down and waited for Shianni to finish, before carefully picking the rogue up in his arms. Lokin whimpered and licked her bruised hands lightly, concern clearly showing. Elise smiled and rested her hand on the wolf's white head, staining it with a pinkish red hand print.

Shianni picked her bow up and strapped it to her back as she and the Dalish elf walked carefully, with Alistair in between them. Elise had fallen fast asleep due to the lack of blood and exhaustion, and Alistair noticed in the dark her skin seemed paler. On further inspection of his surroundings, he seemed to figure out they were back in the front room of the fort.

"Why are we here?" Shianni was already digging her pack, pulling out her bed roll as she laid it on the floor. She motioned for Alistair to hand her Elise, and gently laid her onto the mat.

"I figured since most of the enemy is probably dead or gone, it would be safe to leave her here, under guard of course." She looked up as Alistair stood up, confusing setting on her features. "What are you doing?"

Alistair was already grabbing his sword and shield, before turning back to her, his gaze hard. Shianni breathed in slightly. She had never seen Alistair act so serious before. No wonder Kailee had such a deep love for him. He was a goof, but when push came to shove, Alistair could be the leader he was destined to be. This man before her was proof of that.

"I'm going to find Mark. He's still in there, and I won't stand by while my best friend is killing darkspawn by himself." Without waiting for a response, he turned and walked out of the room, in search of the Commander and his closest thing to a brother.

~*~

_Geez, do these things have a sodding weak point?!_ He growled, frustrated. Clearly he regretted it, for a fist shot out just inches to the side of his, straight through the book case he was hiding behind. Mark yelped and ducked back as the bookcase toppled over, revealing a very tall, very bulky, very pissed off darkspawn Child. It stalked forward as Mark hit the back wall, leaning in and looking the Warden in the face.

"Death…" Mark turned his face away as the stench filled his nostrils, threatening to knock him out.

"Oh, so you can talk. I just thought all you could do was bark and growl." Not the wisest comeback. The next thing he knew, he was being picked up, and hurled through another bookcase. Mark already was bleeding from the head, and now his entire body felt like a thousand pound weight was being pushed on top of him. And he was slowly getting pissed. "Ok, enough is enough. I'm tired of this shit." He groaned as he pushed the book case on top of him, the remaining four Childs readying themselves to charge again.

Mark slowly unclasped the breastplate of his armor and finally got it off, letting it hit the ground with a dull _thud._ He tossed off his gauntlets and flexed his muscles, the cold air biting at his bare upper body. Scars lined his arms and chest, a giant one going from his shoulder down his back.

The warden felt the blood rush through his body, his body grateful to have the heavy armor off. He also felt the rush of magic flow through him, its power filling him with renewed strength. He smirked and turned around, his icy blue eyes changing to a deep red again as the magic flared through his body, healing his stamina.

He only had strength enough for one shot. He had to make it count. His gaze shifted around the room, to the fallen and shattered bookcases and tables, until he spotted a table leaning against a bookshelf, making a semi ramp. The Warden ran to the darkness the room provided, the Childs chasing after him. He made a sharp right and circled around to where the table was, all the while gathering magic as a fireball formed between his hands. He did not stop his stride as he ran up the long table, using it as a spring as he jumped on the railing of the second floor and leaped above the center of the room, and the four Childs. He spotted an empty spot in between them and brought his arms back, the fire blazing in his hands.

"Eat this!" He threw the fireball towards the floor. It exploded on impact, scorching the ground and sending a flaming shockwave engulfing the entire room. The concussion of the blast slammed Mark through the wooden railing and into another bookcase, causing him to black out on impact. He just hoped it killed the enemy as well.

~*~

Alistair felt Mark lose consciousness even before he saw him. He still did not understand it, but the closeness the two men had with each other, and the months spent together before Ostagar developed a link between them. They could always sense each other through the taint, and sometimes could tell if the other was in danger or not. Right now, Alistair followed his instincts, and the taint, leading him to a the back room. He gawked at the damage in the room. Bookcases and books were alight with fire, and the heat from the initial blast melted part of the iron door.

Yes, definitely Mark's handiwork. The floor was scorched black, and he could faintly make out four charred body, their skin blistering and popping. Alistair faintly wondered what manner of darkspawn would make his friend resort to using magic, something that he rarely did.

He did not dwell on it for long as he ran up the stairs and saw the Warden Commander, his body covered halfway with books, unconscious.

"Andraste's bloody sword, Mark. Why did you have to go and do something stupid like that?" H already knew what the answer was even as he lifted Mark up. "Geez you're sodding heavy."

With his friend finally found, Alistair and the unconscious Warden made their way slowly back towards the others, hopefully without running into more darkspawn.


	9. Sword of Shadows

The Sword of Shadows

The Fade in and of itself is a very mysterious place. Mortals, with the exception of dwarves, enter the Fade when they dream. It is also the place where spirits who once existed in the mortal realm pass through on their way towards the afterlife. The Fade holds many secrets, and is home to many beings, both demons and benevolent spirits.

For as long as Mark can remember, he could recall each time he went into the Fade. Whether it was by force, sleeping, or even during his meditations, he could recall every piece of information he learned while in that realm. He did not know if it was due to his intense will power and meditative trainings or through the magic than ran through his veins. Some experiences were more…kinder…than others.

In this instance that was not the case.

~*~

The wildfire blazed through the field, catching and burning many of the dead and bloated corpses of darkspawn that littered the fields. Legs of some and arms of others were seen everywhere, and one could not walk without stepping on a body. There must have been an entire army of darkspawn here. One would think a great battle had taken place.

Mark breathed in through his mouth, wiping the blood the fell into his eyes. It was always like this, when he had the dream. He, alone in the middle of the burning field, drenched from head to toe in blood, most not his own. At his feet lay his sword, and not ten feet from him, his beloved. The sight of her, lying in her own blood, brought an anger surging forth that he long since forgotten. He wanted to scream, to curse everyone and everything for taking away the only thing in his life that made him whole. He walked up to her slowly and scooped her in his arms, cradling her close to his body, his eyes closed.

How many times? How many times had he lain awake at night thinking about her, about what they had? He knew he could not spend his entire life dwelling on that tragic night, and his mistakes. He knew she did not see it as his fault, but he still felt he was to blame. A lone tear made its way down his cheek as it fell onto her peaceful face. As soon as the tear hit, the area around him changed, and faded out of view. His love disappeared from his arms and he stood, alone, on one of the fiefs.

He did not turn when he heard light footsteps approach him from behind, nor when he felt slender yet strong arms wrap around him from behind. He knew exactly who it was. She still had that same scent of lavender and cinnamon, that same light laugh that made him feel warm all over.

He knew spirits in the fade could not be as…solid…like this, but he was not complaining in the slightest. It did seem odd though.

"How are you holding up, love?" She came to sit next to him as he pulled her onto his lap and hugged her close. Her silver blonde hair still was short and messy, like it was all those years ago. Her hazel eyes searched his.

"It's been getting easier to cope with each year…though I still miss you a great deal Ellie. A lot of strange things have been happening lately."

"I've heard. So there are new darkspawn to deal with now, huh? It seems the Grey Wardens never get a break?" A light smile formed on his face as he held her.

"Such is the life of a tainted soul forced to sacrifice everything to stop darkspawn."

"Oh come now, it can't be as bad as you say it is." Her lop sided grin caused him to laugh.

"Well, that's partly true. The short life sucks though." A silence fell between them as the just sat and held each other. Every year it was like this. Mark would go for a year until the anniversary of Ellie's death, when she would visit him in the Fade only once, until the next year. It was painful to bear, but it was also something for the Warden Commander to look forward to. Another chance to see his fiancé. .Ellie sighed and stood up, pulling him with her. Her expression turned serious as she stared into his eyes.

"I did not just come here for our regular visit. I don't know how, but I can feel that something big is happening out there. Don't ask me how I know, but I can sense it. I don't know exactly what it is, or when it will happen."

Mark sighed and bent tilted his head upwards, staring at the black abyss that was the sky. "Great. First the appearance of new Darkspawn, ancient werewolves to battle, a blood mage, and Alistair," Ellie grinned at that, "now we have some sort of prophetic disaster to face? And you say our life isn't that bad." He looked at her and smiled, his tone serious, yet light. He turned and closed his eyes, taking a breath. "Those new darkspawn…I don't think I've ever seen something that…chilling. It was like they _willingly_ chose to be made into those monsters." He could not shake the look of those hollow, blood red eyes. He shuddered as Ellie took his hand in her own and squeezed it.

"This is only the first step to what will come down the road. I can't say that it will be easy, but know that you aren't alone, my love. You have Alistair, and my spiteful cousin to deal with too." He grinned at her as he squeezed her hand. "And, I'm also with you. I won't leave you, ever." She placed her other hand on his chest, where his heart is, and leaned up, kissing him full on the lips. Mark sighed contently and kissed her back, no words expressing how much he missed this.

"If only we had more time." He smiled sadly at her as she caressed his cheek with her hand, smiling back at him. "I can already smell Lokin is sticking his nose in my face." She laughed and kissed him one more time before letting him go and stepped back.

"I love you, my knight in shining armor."

"Ha! I'm hardly a knight, and I really wouldn't call being half naked 'shining armor'." He smiled back at her. "I love you too Ellie. I'll look forward to seeing you again."

"It may be a lot sooner than you think." He blinked, confused by that statement. He didn't have time to ask her, for she vanished, and the next thing he knew, he was being jerked awake.

~*~

"Mark, if you don't wake up, I'm going to sick your wolf on you."

The Warden woke up with a start, jolting up. Unfortunately for him and Alistair, who was leaning over him, both of their heads collided. Alistair groaned and fell on his ass, holding his head in his hands. "Andraste's flaming sword, what the hell is your head made of! Ouch!"

"Damnit Alistair, your head is just as hard! Learn to stay back before you decide to force me awake." Mark sat up, rubbing his now bruised head and he groaned under his breath. Lokin barked and licked his master repeatedly, leaving the sleeping Elise's side. Mark smiled and scratched the wolf affectionately behind his ears. "Ellie says hi to you too, you crazy wolf." Lokin's tail seemed to move like a windmill with the way it was wagging in a circle, happy to hear from its second master.

Alistair helped his friend up. "So you saw her again?"

"Yeah. She's still the same rebellious elf I have come to love." The Commander placed a hand on Lokin's head for support while he gained his balance again. "Hey, have you seen my armor?"

Alistair blinked, and then remembered the room. "I would be surprised if it still was functional, after that stunt you must have pulled in that room. I doubt it's useable again." Mark sighed at that. Another fine set or armor wasted. His mind wandered back to the fight that took place, and his hands longed for a sword to hold. He had some mage hunting to do. "Mind telling me what happened back there?"

Mark looked up to find Alistair staring at him, worry and seriousness in his eyes. It was rare for Alistair to show anything other than humor, or devoted love, but he was serious when he needed to be, and it was somewhat scary to witness how quick the Kings mood could change. Especially back in the company of his best friend. "They were called Childs. A blood mage showed up when I was searching that back library. He killed Avernus, and stole his knowledge of blood magic in order to cross breed those humans with darkspawn. Those burning charred bodies you saw? That's the result of his experiments." Mark clenched his hands tightly, his body shaking in anger as he glared at the floor. What that mage did, it was beyond wrong. The Commander was going to take his sweet time in killing the mage. He decided to keep what Ellie talked about with him from Alistair and the others for now. He was sure it probably would not come up until after their journey.

He walked over and knelt beside Elise. She looked almost peaceful sleeping, curled up in a ball. Her ankle and leg were bandaged up, though he could see the blood stains. Alistair walked over and took out the gold amulet he found on the Genlock Emissary, and placed it into Mark's hands.

"I found this on a darkspawn that she was chasing. It was apparent that they were searching for something that had to do with this amulet." Mark stared at the amulet in his hand. It was in the shape of an eight pointed star, with a circular backing to it. It felt heavy in his hands.

"They were looking for a sword. I remember the mage saying something about looking for some legendary sword here in the Peak."

"I believe I can help you out with that, Warden." Mark and Alistair looked up and turned towards the doorway. Levi Dryden stood there, looking none worse for wear. Mark smiled and walked over to him, helping him and his family into the room.

"Levi, it's good to see you're safe. Where were you and the others this whole time?"

"In the kitchen, hiding on that second floor that was pretty well hidden. This mage came and summoned all the darkspawn to surround the Peak, and it was only luck that we all mange dot hide in time. Some of relatives though….did not make it." Mark placed a hand on the man's shoulder and squeezed it.

"I'm sorry. If we would have made it sooner, none of this would have happened."

"Aye, but you are here now. And the darkspawn are gone, so it is ok. Now about that sword, I know where it is. It's not too far from this room." That peaked the Warden's interest. He glanced at Alistair.

"Can you stay here and watch the others, in case any more of them show up? I don't want to leave Elise and Shianni and the elf alone for now." He looked at the three sleeping companions, then to Dryden. "Alright, show me where it is."

~*~

The two took a few turns left, then right, then finally, a doorway leading to a set of stairs appeared. Mark and Levi walked down a few flights, before coming to a metal door with a hole in the middle of it. Mark looked at the pendant and placed it inside. An audible 'click' sounded, as the latches that held the door closed moved and opened. Mark pushed the door open.

The room was tiny, much like a small storage room. An armor rack sat against the far wall, with a large chest sitting beside it. Mark took a look at the armor on the stand. The armor was pitch black, with red lines running down the sides of it. They almost looked ruby red, and Mark could feel the power running through it. He picked it up. IT was massive armor, but surprisingly, it was very light. He slipped it on, and immediately felt its effects.

The armor seemed to call to him, to the taint running through his body. Not the darkspawn taint, but the magic. The red lines glowed bright red before Mark felt power rushing through him. It was…weird to say the least. He felt relaxed, and exhausted at the same time. It felt like a weight was thrown onto his body, forcing him down. Maybe the armor had a magic weakening spell on it? It sure felt like it.

"Wow…this is amazing. It will take some getting used to."

"From what I know, they say that's the Shadow Plate. Legend says the man that wore that armor was a general in the army during the time of Tevinter rule. He led a battle against the mages of the Tevinter Imperium, and had this armor made to weaken their power. Suffice to say it works, right?" Mark nodded, before taking deep breathes. He had long since controlled the power of his magic, to ensure he would not be sent to the Circle, and trained as a warrior to at least dampen it. It worked, but at times, even when near death, it seemed to want to jump to the surface.

The warrior straightened and walked over to the chest, before kicking the lock open. He lifted the heavy lid, and almost fell to his knees. Inside was a black sword, almost as black as the armor he wore, with those same red lines running down the blade. Silver lined the edge of the blade, making it look sharp.

"I've heard rumors of this sword….but I never expected it to be true. A sword with the power to dispel magic and cut through flesh and bone like butter. The Sword of Shadows." Levi helped Mark up as he picked up the sword. The Warden was sweating profusely, possibly due to the wards the weapon and armor had on them.

"Are you sure you can handle it? It was said to kill mages who sought to claim it for their own."

"It's nothing training will not take care of. All I need to do is train with the sword and armor, and eventually it will feel like the wards are not even there. I'll be fine. Plus, now I have a main weapon again." Mark grinned slightly under his panting, and sheathed the sword. He felt the wards lift a fraction, just enough for him to stand and walk around easily. He strapped the sword to his back, and he and Levi headed up to the others.

* * *

Eh...honestly i did not like this chapter at all, but i felt like it needed to be put in. Mark needed a new sowrd and armor after all, and theres a hint in there about what's to come later in the story. So read and tel me what you think. ALSO! I would like you guys, if you review, to tell me what you would like to see happen in the story later on. I know you probably might not have a full idea of what the entire plot is, but i would like to know what you guys, as readers, would liek to see more of in the story. =)


	10. No Rest for the Weary

No Rest for the Weary

The night air was a great reprieve from the cold and damp air in the fortress. After having found the sword and armor, as well as having Levi's brother fix his sword, Mark and the others in the party decided it was safe to leave the Peak.

It would take them around one and a half weeks to reach Redcliffe, and Mark wanted to get an early start. It was nice to get out into the open air. The Warden Commander liked the nights better than the daylight hours. Mostly it was due to his and Alistair's wanderings during their first few months of being Grey Wardens. The two of them always managed to get into some sort of trouble, be it with Duncan, or the other senior Wardens.

A chuckle escaped Mark as he poked at the fire with his slowly burning stick. He took notice that it was getting smaller, despite his numerous attempts at shaking the fire off of it. He shrugged and threw it into the fire, losing himself in the flames as his eyes took on that faraway look. Alistair stood off to the side over a little fire of his own, cooking. What he was cooking essentially, Mark did _not_ want to find out. He caught the smell of it as the wind drew it over towards the main group, and he almost blanched.

He decided it was safe to go check, but he thought better of it.

"Elise, go see what our King is decided to feed us, please." Elise lifted her chin off her hand to look at him, then over to Alistair, her curiosity forming.

"Me? Why? Besides, I think it smells good." Mark almost fell off the log.

"Come again? You actually think it smells _good?_ Did you hit your head at the Peak?"

Elise rubbed the top of her head, feeling for any contusions or bumps. "No, but I do have a big bug bite."

"Forget I asked. Just go see what Alistair is making." Elise hummed as she got up, walking over to the mentioned Grey Warden. She peered into the pot as Alistair threw ingredients into it. It looked edible at least. Elise shook her head as she dipped her finger into the concoction and sucked on the end of it. She grinned and took out a few spices from her pack, and without Alistair knowing, dumped a few pinches in.

Alistair looked back up from his pack and saw Elise standing there, peering into his stew pot.

"So what are you making, Alistair?" Alistair looked at her and smiled. "Or, do I even want to know?"

"It's stew. Simple, warm, and famous."

"Yeah, famous for making all who eat it gets sick. Maybe that should be our weapon of choice against the wolves. Just feed them stew!" Alistair shot a pointed glare at Mark, who whistled and glanced away. "Don't look at me, I didn't say it."

"Oh sod off Mark. At least _someone_ here enjoys my cooking." He watched as Elise took a sip of the stew from the ladle she stole from Alistair's hand. She swallowed it and waited for a few seconds, before her face lit up.

"It's good!" Well, Alistair and Mark weren't expecting that. Mark got up from his spot and walked over.

"What? You actually say it's good?" He arched a brow and lifted the ladle to his lips, albeit slowly. He almost threw up as it went down his throat. "By the Maker! What did you find to put in this?"

"Well, a few potatoes, and squirrel, and hare, and cheese, and—"

"Alistair…that's like death in a pot." Elise snatched the ladle and dunked it back into the thick stew.

"Well if you don't like it, then go hunting." A grin spread on Mark's face.

"Good idea. I didn't think of that earlier. Want to join me, _my liege._" Alistair groaned and rolled his eyes.

"Sure, why not? It will be just like old times." With that, Elise was left in charge of the stew, under strict orders not to do anything to it to make it worse. Mark and Alistair both borrowed the Dalish elf and Shianni's bows, before heading off into the forest surrounding their camp.

~*~

Mark sat on the thick branch of a tree, whittling away at the wooden arrow in his hand with his dagger. Alistair sat across from him, about two yards away, doing the same thing. They were sitting on the outskirts of a clearing, with a pond in the middle, watching a few female deer with their offspring. A slight smile pulled on Alistair's face as he watched them, thinking of his own wife and child back home in Denerim.

Mark caught the King's faraway look and smiled, shaking his head. He was happy his friend found someone to settle down with, and it was his hell raiser of a sister to boot. He remembered when they were young, and would go through the castle stealing the guard's weapons and armor, blaming it on the other guards or the dog.

Alistair sat up straighter as he saw another animal enter the clearing. It was a male deer. And an old, giant one by the look of it. The sky was just turning to night, so you could still see. He motioned to Mark, who took out his bow and notched his arrow. He stopped his pullback as he looked up. Another buck came into the clearing just underneath them, and he motioned to Alistair silently to hold. He dug in his pack, and pulled out some berries he picked earlier for Shianni to use for poultices.

He set the bow down and crouched, jumping off the branch and landing silently on the ground. He stood and held the berries lightly in his hand as he walked slowly out into the clearing. He stopped as the female deer shot her head up and looked at him. He held the berries out in his hand as he walked ever so slowly towards them.

Alistair stared down at the scene with slight awe. He always knew Mark, despite his tough appearance, was an animal lover. It was how he found Lokin. Alistair had learned, on numerous occasions, to trust him when it came to dealing with animals.

The female deer stared with her wide eyes into Mark's own, and she lowered her head, walking slowly to Mark's outstretched hand. The doe nibbled on the berries and pushed her head into Mark's hand as he petted it. Mark smiled as the two offspring walked up to him and ate the berries that the Warden gave them. Mark was slightly surprised that the deer felt safe enough to approach him at all, with the darkspawn taint running through his veins. He did not let it show however. He turned his head slightly and glanced at the big male deer as it pawed the ground. It bent its head and snorted. He cast a quick glance to Alistair, who did not miss it as he raised his bow in anticipation. Mark continued stroking the doe's fur, while feeding it berries.

The buck seemed to think that the Warden was a danger, and decided it would charge at that moment. It did not get far however, as Alistair let loose the arrow. It hit its mark as the deer plunged to the ground on impact. Mark kept a firm steady hand on the deer, standing in front of it so it wouldn't see the other deer's fate. A part of the Warden felt guilty for taking away the doe's mate. The doe seemed to pick up on this, as she nudged his hand again.

_Amazing how animals seem so in tune to our feelings. No wonder the Dalish are so good with them. _Alistair jumped from the tree and fell to the ground, groaning in pain. Mark groaned as the family of deer heard, and sprinted away from the noise. He cursed under his breath slightly, before walking over to the downed buck.

"Geez Alistair, I don't think even the animals like you." Alistair walked into the clearing, rubbing his sore back.

"Oh bite me."

"No thank you. Lokin already tried, and I think he got sick." Mark laughed at his friend's expression. Alistair glared at Mark before sighing and chuckling as well. He bent down and helped Mark gut the animal, before helping him take it back to camp.

"Doesn't this bring back good memories?" Mark tilted his head skyward as he watched the stars and thought about Alistair's question. He grinned.

"You mean the time when you got lost and Duncan and I spent three day's searching for you, only to find you lost in a ditch with a pack of wolves surrounding you?" Alistair laughed and shook his head. "Don't tell me you actually used the 'raised by wolves' story on my sister. You didn't!"

"Yes I did, and she played right along with it. It was classic." Mark rolled his eyes and shook his head, seeing the light of the fire from their camp.

"Let's hurry up and clean this, it's getting heavy. And I want to eat it before it goes rank."

"Well Lokin will sure be happy about it."

Mark stopped so suddenly that Alistair almost crashed into him, and lost grip on the deer. He glanced up at Mark as the Commander's face hardened. Something was wrong. "What's wrong Mark?"

"Darkspawn." His eyes glanced around as he dropped the deer and instinctively went for his sword, to find it was not there. "Crap. It's still at camp. And we won't make it in time to get it."

"I'm sure Elise and Shianni have already sensed them, and are planning something." Mark nodded and licked his lips. He was ready for them. It was a good thing he sensed them before the ambush came on them. He glanced up at the trees and then back to Alistair.

"Come on, let's get to the high ground and see if we can spring our own ambush for once."

~*~

From their height in the trees Mark and Alistair could see the camp. Elise and Shianni and the elf had already taken to trees and found them easily. Lokin lay somewhere hunched in the grass. That was when he saw them. Four hurlocks and an ogre stalked out of the woods into the camp. One of the hurlocks stood over the pot and leaned over it. Mark looked at Alistair as he arched his eyebrow, Alistair giving a shrug. Elise tapped her mentor on the shoulder and pointed to his tent, where he saw his two swords sitting in the sacks. The darkspawn had not noticed them yet, and he was not going to give them the chance to. Mark grabbed Alistair's sword and unsheathed it, much to his protests. He jumped off the branch and took off towards the camp, coming up behind a Hurlock and cleaving its head clean off. He shouted to get the others attention, and was instantly charged by the ogre.

"Shitshitshit!" He dove out of the way as the ogre barreled past him. He heard the arrows whistle through the air as the hit the ogre in its arms, making it cry out. Mark spun out of the way of an approaching Hurlock, grabbing it by the neck and slamming it to the ground. Lying dazed on the ground, Mark turned his attention to the last Hurlock and the ogre. Without looking, he plunged Alistair's sword into the skull of the downed Hurlock, before running and snatching the Sword of Shadows from its' resting place. He ran as fast as he could and planted his foot on the Hurlock's chest, jumping up. The ogre turned just in time to see the Warden come down with his sword into the monster's arm, slicing it clean off. Mark landed and rolled a few feet before looking from the ogre back to his sword, then back to the ogre, with a dumbstruck look on his face.

"Well that was unexpected." Another three arrows flew from the tree line and struck the monsters head and chest. It feel to the ground with a dull thud as Mark stood up and spotted the Hurlock he jumped over trying to get up. He ran and used the ogre's body like a spring, jumping and slamming his knee into the Hurlock's head with a sickening crack. Mark viciously twisted his knee, cracking the darkspawn's skull under his weight.

With the 'ambush' cleaned up, Mark swiped his sword and cleaned the tainted blood from it. He stared at the giant arm then back to the black sword he held. "Very interesting…"

Alistair and the others walked out from the tree line and Alistair picked up his sword, cleaning it off. He sheathed it and turned back to Mark.

"I've never seen a blade to _that_ before." Mark snorted and nodded in agreement. He stared at the sword, a deep expression on his face. "Now we better get that deer before the wolf sinks his happy fangs in it." That seemed to snap Mark out of his musings, as his eyes widened.

"Shit! I forgot about the deer. You're right!" He took off for the deer, Alistair slapping his forehead and following the Warden Commander.

"Good to know he's back to his old self."

* * *

So here you get a bit more on Mark's background. I plan on slowly unraveling the complexity that is the Warden Commander through out the story, as well as put a few of the next chapters toward Elise's own story. I also decided to put some light on the extent of MArk and Alistair's friendship, so I hope you enjoy it! =)

R&R!


	11. Campfire Stories, Part 1

Campfire Stories

Sparks flew from the fire as the weary travelers sat around it, seeking warmth from the crisp, night air. Elise yawned and brought her knees up, wrapping her arms around them and staring into the fire. The deer that Mark and Alistair caught was roasting slowly, the scent wafting through the air.

Mark smiled as he spotted Lokin lying in front of him, drooling. Mark patted Lokin's head as Shianni threw a bone at him. Lokin barked and wagged his tail before gnawing vigorously on the gift. Mark stretched his hands above his head, popping his shoulders and elbows. He released a contented sigh, relaxing slightly. He did not sense any darkspawn nearby, and he doubted bandits would attack them this late in the night. He looked down to his wolf again as Lokin made noises, digging his nose into the ground.

Mark turned to Alistair as he too started petting the wolf, a smile on his face. "Heh, remember when we found him? It seems so long ago."

"Yeah I do. He was just a pup back then." Lokin looked up from his activity and wagged his tail at his master, tongue hanging lazily from the side of his mouth. Elise picked her head up and looked at her mentor.

"How did you find him, anyways? I always wondered that."

Mark leaned back and looked up at the stars, his mind going back to their first encounter.

~*~

_Alistair woke up to the sound of crashing. He got up and groaned, rubbing the sleep from his eyes. He slowly got out of bed and got dressed, peering his head out the door, and looking down the hallway. It sounded like the crash came from the kitchen, and where there was a kitchen there was food. And where there was food there was bound to be cheese. Alistair hurriedly got cleaned and ran down the hallway to find the source of the noise and his cheese. _

_He stopped as his eyes widened at the sight he saw. There, standing on top of a table was a tiny white wolf cub, with a set of keys hanging from its jaws. It looked at Alistair before it jumped off the table, dashing around his legs to the door._

"_Hey, stop that cub!" One of the older Grey Wardens pushed passed him as he ran down the hallway after it. Alistair started sweating, for he was the reason the cub was in the fort in the first place. Mark was the only one who knew about it, because he had helped Alistair smuggle it in. Mark ran by Alistair and glanced at him, before chasing after the other Grey Wardens. _

_The ex-Templar groaned and followed. He was going to get in so much trouble for this…_

_Duncan paced back and forth as he looked from three of his new recruits, to Alistair and Mark, then to the other three older Grey Wardens. _

"_Would you mind telling me how a cub managed to steal our keys?" Alistair gulped, and glanced at his partner in crime. Mark fidgeted under Duncan's heavy gaze. "Mark, Alistair, I want you two to stay. The rest of you go out and search for the wolf." He walked to them, placing one hand on each of their shoulder's as the others walked out. "Now you two, what a mess you have made."_

_Alistair stared down at his feet. "I never thought it would get this bad. I'm terribly sorry Duncan." _

_Mark cleared his throat._ "_Well, since we've been hearing wolves during the night, I got this idea that I would like to have one as a companion. My father used to have a pack of wolves help him around the shop, so they always stuck with me." Alistair was shocked to hear that. Mark was taking fault for something that was completely his own idea, and they had only known each other for a month. He licked his lips and stayed silent. _

_Neither of them were expecting Duncan to laugh. "My, trouble seems to follow you two everywhere!" He sighed, and the two Wardens could see just how old the man before them looked. "Well, no harm done, essentially. I never hand out the original set to junior(?) Wardens. Believe it or not, this isn't the first time those keys have been lost." _

_Alistair and Mark looked at each other and grinned. It seems they wouldn't get into too much trouble. _

"_Thank you Duncan." Duncan only smiled and shook his head. _

"_You two remind me of when I was your age. Now, you two better look for the cub." _

_~*~_

"It turns out the cub was hiding in the larder, in the cheese." Mark leaned his head back and let out a light chuckle, while Alistair shook his head.

"I will never look at that wolf and cheese the same way again. He literally dug a hole under the cheese and was guarding those keys. Almost bit my finger off!" Lokin picked his head up again, wagging his tail. Alistair could almost swear the wolf was laughing at him. "Oh shut up."

Elise laughed, clutching her sides. "You two must have driven the Wardens up the wall!"

Mark leaned forward and smiled slightly, rubbing his hands together. "You could say that. They always got us back for the pranks we pulled. It was like a cycle."

"We pranked them, they got us back, and then we stole their armor while they were bathing." Mark laughed at the memory of the two of them running through the fort, carrying heavy loads of armor and stashing them away. "Duncan caught us a few times, and boy, he was he not happy."

Shianni shook her head and rolled her eyes. "Sometimes I can't believe the stories you tell the other Wardens, Mark. I would never expect you to be a prankster."

"Yeah well…certain circumstances have changed my attitude," Mark replied darkly. The Warden's face clouded over as he stared into the fire for a long moment, letting the calm night wash over him. He laid his chin on his hands and stared solemnly into the flames.

Shianni reached over and squeezed his hand, looking at him with concern. "Sorry, I didn't mean to bring it up."

Mark waved his hand and got up, stretching his legs. "Don't worry about it. It's all right. I know you didn't mean it. I think I'm going to go walk the perimeter."

Shianni stared at his retreating back, a sigh escaping her lips. She saw through his façade and it worried her how he was handling all the stress.

"He'll be fine Shianni. Just let him walk it off a bit, then he should be back to his old self." Shianni looked at Alistair and smiled.

"I know, I just worry about him."

Elise got up and sat beside Shianni. "Are you two together or something? You seem extremely close."

Shianni choked a bit and blushed, shaking her head. "No no it's nothing like that. We're more like brother and sister than anything. I met him when Kailee and Alistair helped out the Alienage, before the Landsmeet. He was visiting with my cousin, who eventually convinced me to join the Grey Wardens after the Blight." She paused for a bit, looking down at her lap. "After she died…Mark seemed lost, almost hollow. I was the one who stayed with him at night, helping him. It was the one thing he was so glad for, that I was there. We grew close because of it, and eventually became close friends."

"How did you become a Grey Warden, Shianni?"

Shianni looked at Elise, a big smile tugging on her lips. "Well it was Ellie who basically threatened me so that I would join." She laughed. "I remember she hit me a couple of times because I was being stubborn. Our life in the Alienage was not the best during that time, and I wanted to get out and see the world, like my cousin."

Alistair came back from giving Lokin another bone, and sat down across from the two female Wardens. "Speaking of which, Elise, how did Mark find you? I'm kind of curious about that."

Elise tilted her head and tapped her fingers against her chin.

"Well, you remember a noble named Vaughn?" Alistair looked up and tilted his head.

"Yeah, I remember Kailee let him out for his voice in the Landsmeet. He seemed like a conniving bastard to me." He did not miss Shianni's slight cringe and scowl as her hands clenched. He let it pass. Perhaps he would ask later.

Elise continued. "Well I was a servant of his. My mom was born into a life of servitude, and I never knew my father. I lived with Vaughn and his friends, cleaning after their mess. Some days were better than others. I remember one day a Grey Warden came to the castle near Nevarra, looking for shelter. Vaughn did not want to give it to him. He was…uptight about anyone seeking shelter. I don't remember what Mark did, but Vaughn eventually let him stay, and I think Vaughn was scared of him." That brought a smile on her face. "I remember the tension would rise whenever Mark and Vaughn were in the same room. Eventually Mark saw me and we talked, and he asked if I would like to join his order. He seemed nice, and I loved hearing about the Grey Wardens. When he told Vaughn, the bastard had his guards come in and hold him at sword point, accusing him of stealing his workers."

Shianni snorted. "I can imagine that went over well."

"It was interesting to watch. Mark had to beat four of them down before he invoked the Right of Conscription. Not even Vaughn could argue with that, though he very well tried. Mark made a funny show of cutting his pants off."

Alistair almost fell off his log, tears coming out of his eyes. "I could see the look on that man's face. Oh Maker, Mark never changes." Shianni smiled and rubbed the back of her head, before yawning.

Elise yawned as well, rubbing her eyes. "Speaking of which…I think I'm going to go look for him. I have a couple of questions I want to ask him before we leave." She got up as Alistair and Shianni stayed sitting around the fire, reminiscing about old stories.


	12. Campfire Stories to Flames of Rage

Finally the Document Manager works! =) So here's a treat for the long wait, sorry about that! Again thanks to my awesome beta for looking over the chapter =)  


* * *

From Campfire Stories to Flames of Rage

_A field. A forest engulfed in flames. Darkspawn __swarm in every direction__._

Mark stood on the edge of a medium sized clearing, far away from the blaze of the traveling Wardens' campfire. Mark was surrounded by scorches in the earth and stumps from fallen trees. Most of the field had overgrowth to it, but was one spot was barren. He slowly walked forward and stood in the center of the spot, eyes cast down to the ground, visions flashing through his mind.

He knelt and ran his hand over the dirt. It was dry. The roots of the surrounding grass would touch it. He crushed the dirt in his hand and let it fall between his fingers. He stood back up and took in a deep breath, closing his eyes.

"_How many do you think are out there?" _

"_Too many to count. We've been set up." _

"_Then let's show them they picked the wrong people to mess with." _

He opened his eyes and ran a hand through his hair. His hand went lower as he rested it on the hilt of his sword. He unsheathed it slowly, metal brushing against leather a sound he's heard one too many times. Mark looked at his reflection in the sword as he spun it around in a circle, as if preparing himself for a battle long since lost.

_Dark splotches in the night running forward. Falling in a sea of red. _

The hum of the blade slicing through air was like music to his ears. He placed one foot back and started twirling the blade quickly, switching from left to right side. Mark stepped forward and closed his eyes again, listening as the blade hummed as he spun it from side to side. He started going through his practiced motions, staying within the barren circle.

_Step. Spin. Slice. Duck. Shield block. Thrust. Dodge. Step. Spin. Slice. _

It was like a dance, albeit with a deadly sword. Mark's foot tapped the edge of the circle and he stopped, opening his eyes. It was pitch black now, and the moon was full, casting light onto the field. He sighed and sheathed his weapon. His eyes drifted up to star at the moon, the light reflecting off of his eyes.

_Darkspawn running and falling. Endless wave upon wave rushing towards them. Slipping on the enemy's blood. _

Mark took in another deep breath as he laid his sword on the ground, sliding into stance. He started moving, his feet light, as he went through the form he practiced so many times before. Punches quick; feet slow. His mind was a blur of memories and visions of times he spent with his love. And then, in one foul swoop, it all was ripped away from him.

_There was an Alpha Hurlock General. It spoke to them. It raises its bow and pulled back, aiming at the shorter one. _

"_Get down!" _

_Too late._

The Warden pushed himself harder, a faint red outline shimmering around his body, evidence of his expended energy against his imaginary foe. He grit his teeth as his eyes clouded over.

_He knelt on the ground, holding her close to him. The battlefield stilled, nothing made a sound. He looked at his hands, covered in red._

_A sorrowful scream tore through him. _

His eyes slammed open as he heard a twig snap behind him. He turned only to find Elise walk out from the tree line, watching him. Mark breathed a slight sigh of relief as he plopped down on the ground, a hand resting on his sword.

_His eyes clouded over. All he could see was red. Rage took over._

"I'm surprised you found me." Elise stopped as she heard her mentor's words reach her. She kept on walking and sat down next to him, stretching her feet out and leaning back on her hands.

"Well you weren't that hard to find. I could just follow the taint. It's weird though..." She let the end of her sentence hang in the air, and Mark just had to grasp at it.

"What is?"

"Well, usually when I started sensing the darkspawn, it was like closing my eyes and seeing medium specs of light. When I would try and find Alistair or Shianni, or other Grey Wardens, they were slightly smaller specs. I guess because we aren't completely like the darkspawn."

Mark propped his leg up, resting his arm on his knee. He turned his head and cocked an eyebrow up, looking at her. "And when you try to sense me?"

Elise blinked and tilted her head back to look at the sky. Her eyes sparkled as she looked up at the millions of stars. "I don't know exactly. You're a pretty big spec of light. It's like looking at the stars, and finding the North Star. You're always there, guiding all the others. Though when I try to sense you, it changes colors."

Mark looked at the sky as well, easily finding the North Star. A smile touched his lips. "Hopefully I'm not that easy to spot."

Elise giggled and sighed, laying her back on the grass, stretching. "So, I've only heard bits and pieces from your sister, but I'm curious. What happened to that woman?" She heard him sigh and turned her head to look at him.

Mark rubbed his eyes and lay back next to her, staring up at the star lit sky. "It was supposed to be a simple recon mission. A large group of Darkspawn were sighted off the coast of Fereldan to the North, and Ellie and I were asked to check it out. Since we did not have that many Grey Wardens, the two f us made the trip alone. We did not want to risk anyone dying."

"Was she your Second Hand?"

Mark smiled as he remembered her training the recruits. "Yes she was. She was sometimes even better than I was at training recruits. I still admire her skill with dual weapons." Ellie stretched and rested her head on her hands.

"So what happened?"

"We mainly stayed next to the rivers and roads, traveling light. We did not really need to bring much, just poultices and bandages. We made it close to where they were last spotted pretty quickly. Though it was all for naught," Mark stayed quiet for a time, a frown on his face. Elise did not want to ruin the moment, so she stayed silent. Finally, Mark took a deep breath and continued his story. "Apparently the traveler we ran into who gave us the location was a bandit, a hired mercenary. He led us into a trap. Ellie and I were surrounded, in this field actually. Wave after wave of darkspawn charged us. They died easily enough. Soon the ground was coated in blood, and you couldn't step anywhere without tripping over darkspawn." He chuckled dryly, lifting his hand to look at it in the night sky.

"We stood back to back, killing anything that came within a five foot radius of our circle we had made. There was one darkspawn, one of the generals. It, somehow, could talk like we could. It didn't have any sort of accent. It kept on taunting us, sending his minions to die." He sat back up, wrapping his arm around his legs as he stared straight ahead.

"He had a bow, and aimed toward Ellie. I tried to push her out of the way, but I slipped in some blood. I was too late. The arrow hit her in the throat." He closed his eyes as a tear slid down his cheek. "She died before she hit the ground. I…I didn't even get to tell her I love her."

Ellie sat up and looked at Mark, scooting up close to him as she hugged him comfortingly. He smiled as he placed a hand on her head.

"I remember kneeling, holding her as close as I could, afraid that she would just vanish. Her blood was everywhere. I still see it on my hands some days…" He fell silent, as the two of them just sat in the clearing, watching the stars.

"I know I can't say anything to help bring her back, but know that we are all here for you. You aren't alone." Hearing that made him smile as he hugged her tightly for a second. "What happened after that?"

"All I could see was red. I screamed so loud I thought I would tear my throat out. There is a part of a warrior that when you get angry enough, you just let the rage take over. After that, nothing can stand I your way. Pain becomes irrelevant. Needless to say…I slaughtered the remaining thirty or so darkspawn. They did not stand a chance. Only the general escaped." He shook his head, throwing the thoughts and anger from his mind. "The rest is all a blur really, then I blacked out."

Elise stayed silent after Mark finished. The wind was starting to pick up, and she shivered. Mark stood up and offered his hand. "Come on, it's starting to get cold. We should head back to the campfire." Elise nodded and stood, but not before turning back to look at the sky, seeing a shooting star. She smiled and closed her eyes, silently wishing for something to bring happiness back to her friend.

_. _


End file.
